Boston Red Sox Use 19th Round MLB Draft Pick on D'Angelo Ortiz, Son of Big Papi

D'Angelo Ortiz grew up watching his dad become a champion and a legend in Boston, and now the Miami Dade College product has a shot to join the Red Sox himself.

May 31, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) with his son D'Angelo Ortiz prior to a game against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park. | Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Between 2003 and 2016, David Ortiz established himself as one of the best players in Boston Red Sox history.

Nearly a decade after he hung up his cleats, Big Papi's legacy in Beantown is set to live on.

The Red Sox selected Ortiz's son, D'Angelo Ortiz, in the 19th round of the 2024 MLB Draft on Tuesday. The younger Ortiz, who turned 20 years old earlier this month, just completed his freshman season at Miami Dade College before going 567th overall.

D'Angelo Ortiz is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound infielder. He hit .328 with one home run, 38 RBI, and an .805 OPS at the NJCAA level in 2024, finishing the season with more walks than strikeouts.

Ortiz is currently spending the summer with the Brockton Rox of the Futures Collegiate League for the second time in three years. In 54 career appearances with the club, he is batting .325 with 42 RBI, eight stolen bases, a .777 OPS and more walks than strikeouts.

It remains to be seen if Ortiz signs with the Red Sox, who have $10.52 million in bonuses to spend on their top 10 picks.

David Ortiz never heard his name called in the MLB Draft, instead signing with the Seattle Mariners as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 1992. He got traded to the Minnesota Twins in 1996, then made his big league debut in 1997.

After a few scattershot seasons in Minneapolis, the Twins eventually released Ortiz in 2002.

The designated hitter joined the Red Sox that same offseason, and he finished fifth in AL MVP voting in 2003. That started a streak of five consecutive top-five finishes in AL MVP voting for Ortiz.

Ortiz helped Boston end their 86-year World Series drought in 2004, and he would help them win titles in 2007 and 2013 as well. He racked up 2,472 hits, 541 home runs, 1,761 RBI, 10 All-Star appearances and seven Silver Sluggers before it was all said and done, batting .286 hitter with a .931 OPS and 55.3 WAR along the way.

The Hall of Fame slugger now has a son on the verge of joining the Red Sox's farm system. Even if D'Angelo Ortiz fails to match his father's gaudy resume on-paper, it won't take much for him to become a fan-favorite in his own right.

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