Ottawa Titans sign Ibarra

The Ottawa Titans have signed veteran infielder Christian Ibarra. Photo: Ottawa Titans

April 5, 2024

Official Ottawa Titans News Release

Ottawa, Ont. - The Ottawa Titans have agreed to terms with veteran infielder Christian Ibarra for the upcoming 2024 Frontier League season.

Ibarra, 31, heads to the nation’s capital after suiting up in the Mexican League for the Guerreros de Oaxaca last summer. Limited to just 32 games because of injury in 2023, Ibarra hit .198 with five doubles, a triple, a home run, and drove in six. He will make his return to the MLB Partner Leagues for the first time since the 2020 campaign.

Post-pandemic, the veteran has spent three seasons in the Mexican League, with two different clubs, hitting a collective .252 with 26 doubles, 17 home runs, and 83 RBIs across 171 games.

Hailing from La Puente, Calif., Ibarra previously played under Bobby Brown with the Amarillo Thunderheads and Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association from 2015 to 2019, posting some of the best numbers of his professional career. Over a 340-game stretch for the now Titans skipper, Ibarra hit .274 with 55 doubles, 56 homers, and 179 RBIs – walking 214 times in the process.

In 2018, he posted a career year, hitting .299 with 20 homers and 64 RBIs, and a .932 OPS. Ibarra had a career-best 13-game hitting streak and his 20 homers were third-most in the American Association.

For the Saltdogs franchise, Ibarra ranks third in games played (282), second in runs scored (195), fourth in hits (288), second in home runs (48), fourth in RBIs (157), and in the top five in walks (184).

After a blazing start to the 2016 season, in which he was hitting .371 with five homers, 13 RBIs, and a 1.176 OPS - his contract was purchased by the Minnesota Twins from the Saltdogs in June – and he got his first crack at affiliated baseball. At the time, he ranked third in the American Association in batting average and slugging percentage (.700) and was tied for third in home runs and doubles.

Ibarra’s last independent season in the MLB Partner Leagues came with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in 2020 – where he suited up in 58 games, hitting .268 with three long balls and 25 RBIs during the shortened campaign.

Originally selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 32nd round of the 2013 June Amateur Draft, Ibarra elected not to sign to complete his collegiate career at Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, Louisiana). In two seasons for the Tigers, Ibarra hit .276 with 24 doubles, nine homers, and 61 RBIs across 125 games from 2012 to 2013. Ibarra earned First Team All-SEC honours as LSU’s starting third baseman in 2013 and helped lead the Tigers to the College World Series.

The Ottawa Titans open the 2024 season on Friday, May 10 against the New England Knockouts. The Titans’ home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, May 21 versus the Tri-City ValleyCats at Ottawa Stadium.