Ortiz, who has earned the reputation in the past couple of years as a slow starter, has stormed out of the gates this season. Not only is the Red Sox designated hitter hitting for power, he's hitting for average as well.
It may be unlikely to think that Ortiz's .317 average will be sustainable for the entire year (or maybe it will), but one thing Sox fans have come to count on from him is his power.
Since he joined the Red Sox in 2003, Ortiz hasn't hit fewer than 23 home runs in a season. And that total came in 2008, when he played in just 109 total games.
Last season, despite the slow start (and that's probably putting it lightly), Ortiz heated up right along with the weather. He crushed 10 home runs in May after just one in April, and he ended the season with 32 home runs.
On June 4 of last season, Ortiz had 12 home runs. As he enters play on June 4 of this season, he's at 13 home runs. You would think that he's right on pace to eclipse that 30 home run mark for the seventh time of his career.
Of course, Ortiz is another year older, and with that comes the larger risk of hitting the wall at some point. Ortiz has usually gotten better as the season has gone on, but that's something that may even itself out.
Still, he's proven in the past that he can keep up his power production for the entire year. And this year, a batting average 25 points higher than his career average may be proof alone that he's going to have widespread offensive contributions for the entire year.
Will David Ortiz eclipse the 30-home run plateau this season? Share your thoughts below.
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