Boston Red Sox All-Decade team from 2010-2019 seasons
By Sean Penney
Designated Hitter: David Ortiz
There’s no question that David Oritz is the best DH in MLB history and he’s in the conversation for being one of the top handful of hitters in Red Sox history.
When we reached the end of the last decade, it appeared that Ortiz’s career was on its last legs. Not even close. A resurgent Ortiz ripped off four consecutive All-Star seasons to begin this decade and he was going strong until the age of 40 when his body finally forced him to retire.
2016 was his final season and also one of his best. Big Papi led the league with 48 doubles, 127 RBI, .620 SLG, and a 1.021 OPS.
From 2010-2016, Ortiz hit .292 with 224 home runs and 700 RBI in 957 games with the Red Sox. That’s more production than most hitters provide over a full decade, let alone just over half of one.
Ortiz has always been known for his postseason heroics and 2013 was one of his brightest highlights on that stage. His grand slam against the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS helped launch the Red Sox into the World Series, where Ortiz would capture MVP honors by hitting an unfathomable .688/.760/1.188 in six games against the St. Louis Cardinals.
J.D. Martinez has been excellent in his first two seasons in Boston but he has a long way to go before he passes Ortiz.