The results are in, David Ortiz is a Hall of Famer. ‘Big Papi’ will join Veterans Committee inductees Buck O’Neil, Bud Fowler, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva, Gil Hodges and Minnie Minoso on the walls of Cooperstown as the lone BBWAA inductee this year. Officially a part of 77.9% of ballots, Ortiz just exceeded the 75% mark needed for induction by 11 votes. He will most likely become the 12th inductee to the hall wearing the Red Sox cap, and joins elite competition with legends Wade Boggs, Ted Williams, Pedro Martinez and Carl Yastrzemski as the only five Red Sox first ballot Hall of Famers.
Arguably the greatest Designated Hitter in baseball history, Ortiz’s Major League career started in 1997 with the Minnesota Twins, where he was a pretty average contributor overall. In six seasons with Minnesota, Ortiz hit a slightly above average 108 OPS+ to go along with 58 home runs, primarily playing as a DH. After a 2002 season in which he slugged an 118 wRC+, Ortiz would be released by the Twins. In January of 2003, the Boston Red Sox gave Ortiz a chance by making one of the best free agent signings in baseball history.
The lefty Designated Hitter that signed for only $1.25 million shocked Red Sox Nation and the baseball world alike, finishing fifth in the 2003 MVP voting along with an excellent 144 OPS+. Ortiz stayed with Boston for the entirety of his career after signing with the club, and was a critical part of three World Series teams. His 17 Postseason go-ahead hits and three Postseason walk-off hits are both tied for first all time. Ortiz’s most memorable Postseason moments include his heroics in games four and five of the 2004 ALCS, and his game tying Grand Slam in the 2013 ALCS. His 3.16 Postseason Win Probability Added is the most all time and basically means that he won his team at least three games during the most critical period in baseball.
Ortiz finished his career in 2016, but had one of the greatest farewell seasons of all time leading the League in doubles, runs batted in, on base percentage and on base plus slugging percentage. In his entire 20 year career, Ortiz compiled 541 home runs, 2,472 hits, and 1,768 runs batted in, along with a .338/.552/.932 triple stat line. Ortiz is without a doubt one of the greatest Red Sox players ever, and one of the clutchest players of all time. The legacy that ‘Big Papi’ had on Red Sox Nation will never be forgotten.
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