On January 22, 2003, the Boston Red Sox made a seemingly innocuous move. They signed free agent first baseman David Ortiz to a one-year contract. He was coming off his best season in the majors with the Minnesota Twins, but still nothing to get the fans too excited.
Of course, we all know how it went. Ortiz became a Boston legend. He became the most clutch player in franchise history, coming up huge countless times, including multiple times in that historic comeback in the 2004 ALCS against the rival New York Yankees.
Ortiz would spend the rest of his career with the Red Sox, retiring after a phenomenal 2016 season and finishing with over 500 home runs and 1,700 RBI. It didn’t take long for the designated hitter to get his number 34 retired by the Red Sox and to get the call to Cooperstown.
In 2024, the Red Sox used their 19th-round pick (567th overall) on D’Angelo Ortiz, the son of David. The corner infielder may share his dad’s initials, but he doesn’t have the same game. Ortiz appeared in 51 games in the FCL in 2025 before being promoted to Single-A. He then played 28 games there to finish out the season.
The young Ortiz slashed .269/.368/.298 with five doubles and one triple between the two levels. He drove in 28 runs, scored 31, and stole 14 bases.
In 2026, Ortiz started the year with the Single-A Salem RidgeYaks once again. Through 38 games, the right-handed hitter was slashing .248/.342/.302 with five doubles and one triple. He had 16 RBI, 18 runs scored, and five steals. The big positive was Ortiz’s 18 walks compared to just 19 strikeouts.
Did you notice something missing? Ortiz had yet to hit a home run.
D'Angelo Ortiz, son of Red Sox legend David Ortiz, hits first professional home run in High-A
That leg kick looks familiar! 🥹
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 10, 2026
D'Angelo Ortiz, the son of @RedSox legend David Ortiz, slugs his first professional home run for the @Ridgeyaks: pic.twitter.com/bjzxMDIYql
Ortiz stepped up to the dish for the first time on June 10 with 437 professional plate appearances under his belt and still no home runs to his name. The 21-year-old took a 1-0 pitch deep over the right field wall in Salem for his first home run.
Ortiz isn’t an elite prospect. He’s a solid athlete with a good eye and solid contact skills, but below-average speed and power. If he can add some pop, there might be something there. But for now, it’s about putting the ball in play and helping out on defense for Ortiz (two things he’s done pretty well so far). Could this first home run be the start of something?
Maybe this isn’t the most exciting news in the world to you. But Red Sox fans deserve some happiness right now. David Ortiz was such a massive beacon of hope for the franchise and for the fanbase for over a decade. Now, on a day when it felt like the team hit its lowest point in years, his son joins the party. It must be in the blood.
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