The later rounds of the MLB Draft are often fun when teams select prospects related to former players and franchise greats. The Boston Red Sox did just that on Tuesday by selecting D’Angelo Ortiz, son of Hall of Famer David Ortiz, in the 19th round (No. 567 overall).
Ortiz, 20, hit .328 with an .805 OPS, one home run and 38 RBIs in 48 games for Miami Dade College last season. He also played two seasons in the Future Collegiate Baseball League for the Brockton Rox, hitting .325 with a .777 OPS.
David Ortiz was one of the best Red Sox hitters in recent history, with a .290 batting average and .956 OPS, along with 483 home runs, 524 doubles and 1,530 RBIs in 14 seasons. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. in 2022the only player voted that year.
While his father was primarily a designated hitter and first baseman during his career, D’Angelo is a utility infielder, playing primarily at second and third base.
Ortiz went undrafted but was signed by the Seattle Mariners as a free agent when he was 17. He was traded to the Minnesota Twins as a player to be named later in a deal for Dave Hollins.
Minnesota released Ortiz after six seasons and he signed with the Red Sox, where he became a Hall of Fame hitter, a key part of three World Series champions and a hugely popular figure in Boston sports. If his son ends up playing for the Red Sox someday, that would add up to an incredible story.
“From the time I was 3 years old, I knew what a major league locker room should look and feel like. I came to Fenway Park every day and hung out with legends like Mookie Betts and Manny Ramirez,” D’Angelo wrote in a letter to his father.via NESN) after his induction into the Hall of Fame.
“I had the opportunity to be friends with guys like Bill Hall, Robbie Ross and Wade Miley, and appreciate them on a deeper level than baseball,” he added. “Dustin Pedroia basically helped me grow up. I had the opportunity to be a professional baseball player.” The coolest childhood A young baseball fan might ask, and that doesn’t happen without you being yourself.”
