Abimelec Ortiz went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two strikeouts as the Nationals fell to the Mets 4-3 on Sunday.
Ortiz poked an opposite-field solo blast off Christian Scott to account for the Nationals’ only extra-base hit on the afternoon. The lefty-hitting first baseman came over from the Rangers in last winter’s MacKenzie Gore trade, and he’s essentially filled Luis García Jr.'s role since the trade deadline. Ortiz has started at first and hit second in every game against a right-hander since being called up. He has impressive batted-ball metrics through 14 games with Washington, and the only blemish in his profile is a poor walk rate. That doesn’t align with what he showed in the minors. There could be further upside if his patience improves and the remaining Statcast metrics hold.
