The Boston Red Sox are preparing to start the 2025 Major League Baseball season hungry for revenge. In Spring Training, there is a familiar face, D’Angelo Ortiz, the son of the legendary David Ortiz, who is looking to earn a place and silence the voices that point to nepotism and being there thanks to his father.
Being the son of Big Papi did not give D’Angelo a direct pass to the Red Sox. In fact, he was selected in the last round of the 2024 MLB Draft, at No. 567 and far from receiving a multi-million dollar contract, he only signed for $150,000. In addition, scouts do not consider him to be among the outstanding prospects, although his work ethic has attracted attention, as he is committed to earning a place beyond the surname he wears on his uniform.
“The least I can do is show how serious I am about this. I just want to prove that taking a chance on me is not something that is for the name or anything like that,” D’Angelo said after being selected by the Red Sox.
D’Angelo Ortiz walks on familiar ground
While the name may weigh heavily on D’Angelo Ortiz, having walked alongside his father at Fenway Park and been in the locker room with great stars he admired as a child is an experience that can serve him well, it is something that can serve him well in his mission to reach the Major Leagues, having close to him the values of work ethic.
“My passion is baseball,” D’Angelo said in an interview with The Athletic and added a comment in which he made clear his determination: “But if I grew up wanting to be a doctor, I’m sure I would do everything I could to be the best doctor I could be.”
Of course, there is one point that cannot be evaded, and that is that his father was a teammate of Red Sox manager Alex Cora, director of baseball Craig Breslow and coach Jason Varitek, who all played with D’Angelo’s father and all knew him when he was a child.
“Part of that is proving that I’m not just a kid who wants to run around and be in the shadow,” D’Angelo said. “Whether it’s playing in the infield or outfield or being a designated hitter, I want to be able to make the most of who I am.”
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