The Boston Red Sox have drafted a prospect with a familiar last name.
The Red Sox on Tuesday drafted D’Angelo Ortiz, son of franchise icon David Ortiz, in the 19th round of the 2024 MLB Draft.
The younger Ortiz is a 20-year-old third baseman out of Miami Dade College. He batted .328 with 38 RBIs across 48 games played for the Sharks last season.
The Boston Red Sox have drafted D'Angelo Ortiz, the son of David Ortiz ❤️ pic.twitter.com/uiGjqEVuV3
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 16, 2024
D’Angelo has shown that he can hit for average. But he has yet to show the power Red Sox fans are accustomed to seeing from a player with “Ortiz” on the back of his jersey. The infield prospect hit just one home run last year, which gave him a significantly higher on-base percentage (.431) than slugging percentage (.374).
Ortiz must also deal with the unique challenges that come with being the son of a Red Sox living legend. David helped the Red Sox break their curse and won three World Series with the team. He is beloved in Boston. But being selected in the 19th round isn’t so bad, and D’Angelo won’t have the same pressure that’s been placed on a certain Los Angeles Lakers rookie’s shoulders.
