Luis Ortiz and Coach Jonathan Prieto Named Pirates Organizational Award Winners

CURVE, PA – The Pittsburgh Pirates announced the organization’s award-winners for the Manny Sanguillen Teammates-of-the-Year and the Danny Murtaugh Coach-of-the-Year on Wednesday.

Right-hander Luis Ortiz earned the organization’s Manny Sanguillen Teammates-of-the-Year Award, sharing the honor with infielder Luis Gonzalez. Ortiz finished second among Pirates minor leaguers with 138 strikeouts in 26 games, 25 starts, between Altoona and Indianapolis. Ortiz struck out 126 batters with the Curve, the fourth-highest total in franchise history. Twice during the campaign, Ortiz threw an immaculate inning, striking out the side in order on nine pitches, becoming the first pitcher in franchise history to throw more than one immaculate inning in his Curve career. Ortiz was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis on September 1 and made his major league debut on September 13 at Cincinnati with 5.2 scoreless innings pitched. After the season he was named the Altoona Curve Pitcher of the Year and finished second in the Eastern League in WHIP (1.17), third in batting average against (.238) and fifth in ERA (4.64). The Manny Sanguillen Teammates-of-the-Year awards are given to players who best exemplify Sanguillen’s passion for the game and building friendships among teammates.

Jonathan Prieto earned the organization’s Danny Murtaugh Coach-of-the-Year award after beginning the season as a coach with the Florida Complex League Pirates and joined the Curve in early-June. Prieto has also served the Pirates organization as a hitting coach with Bristol (2019), the West Virginia Black Bears (2015-18), Jamestown (2014), the Dominican Summer League (2012-13) as well as the Venezuelan Summer League (2005-11). He also spent four years as a player in Pittsburgh’s minor league system from 1998-2001 after being signed as a non-drafted free agent on July 3, 1997. The Danny Murtaugh Coach-of-the-Year is awarded to the Pirates minor league coach who has had the biggest impact on the development of talent throughout the season. The award is named in honor of long-time Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh, who served in the role for 15 seasons, leading the club to two World Series Championships.

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