David Ortiz is the kind of transcendent player you never can truly replace. But the Boston Red Sox are trying.
The Red Sox are entering their second full season in the post-Big Papi era since Ortiz retired following the 2016 season. A few hiccups during the 2017 campaign suggest Boston missed Ortiz’s locker room presence as much as his bat, and you could argue the team lacked a definitive leader.
Ortiz thinks that dynamic could change very soon, however. The 42-year-old appeared on Buster Olney’s ESPN podcast to promote Kingsford’s “Opening Day” campaign and revealed who he thinks will emerge as “that guy” for the Red Sox in the coming years.
“I think Mookie Betts,” Ortiz replied, “because of his talent and how young he is and the career that he already is building up — and his personality also. I think he’s the guy who is gonna be running that ball club pretty soon.
“I think every ball club needs a guy with that personality so everybody around him feels comfortable.”
At 25 years old, Betts still is one of the youngest players on Boston’s roster. He’s not exactly a fresh face, though: Betts is entering his fifth season with the Red Sox and actually is among the team’s longest-tenured players outside veteran second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Betts had a bit of a down year in 2017, batting .264 after hitting at a .318 clip during a stellar 2016 campaign. He still clubbed 24 home runs and tallied 102 RBIs, however. More importantly, he’s already showing a desire to take a more active leadership role this season.
“I’m going to approach things a little differently as far as, if I’m not playing well or if we’re losing or whatnot, I can do my best to try and find a way to get everybody back happy, smiling, excited and going to play,” Betts told reporters back in February.
That sounds like an Ortiz-like approach, and the Red Sox are hoping Big Papi taught Betts well.
