The Boston Red Sox drafted the son of a franchise legend and Baseball Hall of Famer.
During the MLB Draft on Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox used their 19th-round pick on 20-year-old D’Angelo Ortiz, the son of David Ortiz. D’Angelo played for the Brockton Rox, a team in the New England-based Future Collegiate Baseball League.
D’Angelo Ortiz is a versatile infielder who plays multiple positions. Over his two years at Brockton (2022 and 2024), he hit .325 with a .350 slugging percentage and .777 OPS in 54 games, per Baseball Reference.
David Ortiz is among the greatest athletes in Beantown history. “Big Papi”anchored the franchise to three World Series championships over a 10-year span (2004, 2007 and 2013), with the first marking Boston’s first title in 86 years.
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Known for always hitting in the clutch come October (see his walk-off hits in Games 4 and 5 against the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS), Ortiz won 2004 ALCS MVP honors and the World Series MVP in 2013.
Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox became the first MLB team to erase a 3-0 deficit when they defeated the archrival Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. Little did folks know at the time that it would be the start of Ortiz’s rise to legendary status.
Boston Red Sox Have Been A First-Half Surprise
Expectations were low for the Red Sox entering 2024, and for good reason. Their four AL East division rivals all finished above .500 last year, and all of them entered 2024 with playoff expectations.
Boston also traded away outfielder Alex Verdugo and former All-Star pitcher Chris Sale, a strong indicator they were planning for a rebuild.
But the Red Sox entered the All-Star break with a surprising 53-42 record that places them in sole possession of the third and final wild card spot in the American League. They’re also just 0.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the No. 2 WC spot.
