Red Sox Draft Son of Franchise Legend

The Boston Red Sox have added a familiar face in the 2024 MLB Draft, drafting the son of one of the franchise's most beloved figures.

With their pick in the 19th round, the Red Sox selected infielder D'Angelo Ortiz, the son of Hall of Famer David Ortiz. The elder Ortiz spent 14 seasons with the Boston Red Sox, winning three World Series and earning 10 trips to the All-Star Game. David Ortiz ranks towards the top of several Red Sox statistical categories.

Ortiz played this past season at Miami Dade College, hitting .328 with a home run and 38 RBI in 48 games. Miami Dade is a junior college that has produced 75 Major Leaguers.

Ortiz reportedly turned down Division I scholarship offers before playing his freshman season this year at Miami Dade, stating that he felt the schools weren't offering for ability, but for his name.

Unlike his father, the younger Ortiz throws and hits right-handed. At six-foot-one, 190 pounds, D'Angelo isn't yet the physical presence that his father brought to the batter's box. The 20-year-old hasn't shied from the pressure that his father's pedigree places on him:

"To have him as a resource is amazing. I'll never use that as an excuse. I love pressure and I love ... those butterflies in my stomach and I love people not expecting me to follow in his footsteps and me just walking right into them. It's something that I love."

- D'Angelo Ortiz

Back in 2022, D'Angelo spoke about playing professional baseball one day, a dream that came true today. His mindset shows a perspective wise beyond his years, and a burning hunger to carve his own path.

"Basically, it’s something that every morning I wake up, I wake up for that day or for that day that I get to go into pro ball.

What people don't understand, too, is that day that you go into pro ball, it's just the beginning. It's doesn't mean you did anything. That’s the beginning -- and that’s where people figure out whether you're really built for this sport. "

- D'Angelo Ortiz

Ortiz will likely report to the Red Sox minor league system in the coming days, hoping to one day rise from the back fields of the team's Spring Training complex in Florida to Fenway Park, the place where his father created so many historic memories.

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