David Ortiz is one of the best designated hitters, and you could make the case he’s one of the greatest overall hitters of all time.
But is it possible he’s the most overrated player on the current Boston Red Sox roster?
That’s the argument David Schoenfield attempted to make in a recent ESPN.com article (Insider subscription required) in which he listed his choice for the most overrated player on each team.
When it came to the Red Sox, Schoenfield made the seemingly sacrilege decision to list Ortiz as Boston’s most overrated player.
“Ortiz’s career OPS+ and WAR: 140 and 53.7. Edgar Martinez’s career OPS+ and WAR: 147 and 68.3. Just sayin’,” Schoenfield wrote.
Here’s the rub, though. Schoenfield, despite what Red Sox fans might think, isn’t trying to take away from Ortiz or anything like that. Allow him to explain.
“It doesn’t mean the player is necessarily bad, just not as great as the hype would indicate,” Schoenfield explained. “So in coming up with this list, I tried to weigh a general perception of how the player is viewed and how that contrasts with his actual on-field value.”
Despite Ortiz’s recent slump, no one would suggest he isn’t one of Boston’s most valuable players. He’s going out with a bang, too, hitting .309 with 25 home runs and 87 RBIs in his final season.
Schoenfield also yields that it’s likely he’ll have plenty of opposition to his list, which also includes Bryce Harper and Giancarlo Stanton. We’re guessing he’s 100 percent right about that one.
Thumbnail photo via Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports Images
