Tirso Ornelas is a left-handed outfielder from Tijuana who made his Major League debut with the San Diego Padres on April 19, 2025. At 26, he carries the torch for Mexican offensive talent in the big leagues — even if his first taste of MLB life has been a grind, with a .071 AVG in his early appearances.
Quick Profile
- Full name: Tirso Ornelas
- Position: Outfielder
- Winter team: Charros de Jalisco (LMP)
- Number: 35
- Bats / Throws: Left / Right
- Height / Weight: 6’3″ / 200 lbs
- Born: March 11, 2000 (age 26), Tijuana, Mexico 🇲🇽
- MLB debut: April 19, 2025
Background
Ornelas grew up in Tijuana, Baja California — one of Mexico’s most storied baseball cities, right on the US border. He spent years in the Padres’ minor league system refining his left-handed swing, steadily building a reputation as an offensive prospect worth watching. His MLB debut in April 2025 was a personal milestone, even if the early box scores haven’t yet reflected the hitter he’s been in the winter leagues.
Professional Career
The bulk of Ornelas’s résumé is written in the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico, where he’s been a key piece for the Charros de Jalisco. His best full winter came in 2024-25: a .289 AVG, 7 home runs, 31 RBI, and a .890 OPS across 48 games — the kind of production that keeps him on the Padres’ radar.
The 2025-26 campaign was more of a reset: .236 AVG, 0 HR, and 7 RBI in 21 games. But the current 2026-27 winter season tells a different story. In just four games, Ornelas is slashing .500 with a home run, 5 RBI, and a 1.564 OPS — as hot a start as you’ll find anywhere.
At the MLB level, his 2025 stint with San Diego was brief and limited: a .071 AVG, 1 RBI, and a .259 OPS. The challenge ahead is bridging the gap between his winter league ceiling and what he can do against big-league pitching every day.
Winter League Stats
- 2026-27 LMP · Charros de Jalisco: 4 G | .500 AVG | 1 HR | 5 RBI | 1.564 OPS | 6 H
- 2025-26 LMP · Charros de Jalisco: 21 G | .236 AVG | 0 HR | 7 RBI | .592 OPS | 17 H
- 2024-25 LMP · Charros de Jalisco: 48 G | .289 AVG | 7 HR | 31 RBI | .890 OPS | 48 H
- 2023-24 LMP · Mayos de Navojoa: 62 G | .254 AVG | 5 HR | 22 RBI | .733 OPS | 53 H
MLB Stats
- 2025 San Diego Padres: .071 AVG | 0 HR | 1 RBI | 0 R | .259 OPS | 0 SB
What’s Next
How Ornelas finishes this 2026-27 winter season could go a long way in shaping his 2026 MLB outlook. A 1.564 OPS is impossible to ignore, no matter the sample size. Charros fans and Mexican baseball followers have every reason to keep a close eye on the Tijuana kid — the best version of Tirso Ornelas might still be ahead of him.
