Being the son of Red Sox legend, David Ortiz, would have come with plenty of expectations wherever D’Angelo Ortiz could have been drafted, but being picked by Boston adds a whole different layer.
D’Angelo Ortiz, 20, was selected in the 19th round of the 2024 MLB Draft, which concluded Tuesday, likely starting his professional baseball career with the same organization his pops starred for from 2003-2016.
The younger Ortiz — a third baseman and outfielder — played his freshman season at Miami Dade College, where he recorded a home run and 38 RBIs in 48 games.
During that span, Ortiz slashed .328/.431/.374 for the Sharks.
He had played two seasons for the Brockton Rox of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League — a summer league based in New England — where he put up a slash line of 325/.426/.350.
The younger Ortiz called his dad during Fox’s production meeting to tell him the news.
“That was unbelievable,” David Ortiz said on the Fox All-Star Game pregame show. “It’s a great feeling when you see your kids moving forward in their life toward being [a] success a lot of emotion goes through you. Big boy, you know, let’s do it. Keep up the good work, and daddy’s proud of you.”
The FCBL also included the offspring of several former major leaguers such as Manny Ramirez Jr., Pedro Martinez Jr. and Jaden Sheffield — the son of Gary Sheffield.
David Ortiz had a Hall of Fame career that started in Minnesota, but he is best remembered for his 14 years in Boston, where he helped the Red Sox win three World Series titles, including the one that broke the franchise’s 86-year championship drought in 2004.
The slugger won a World Series MVP, seven Silver Slugger awards and was named to 10 MLB All-Star Games.
He ended his career knocking 541 home runs and recording 1,768 RBIs, becoming a beloved figure both on and off the field in Boston.
The longtime designated hitter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022, and D’Angelo penned a tribute to his father published by NESN that year.
“Thank you for bringing me along on your journey, teaching me important lessons I will use in my career and creating memories that will last a lifetime. I am immensely proud of everything you’ve done, and how you went about doing it,” he wrote in the open letter.
Manny Ramirez’s son Lucas was also drafted Tuesday, taken by the Angels in the 17th round with the 502nd overall pick.
