Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz tortured Major League Baseball pitchers for 20 seasons.
There were a few notable arms Big Papi had special results against in his illustrious career. With his Hall of Fame induction ceremony set for Sunday, it’s a good time to look back at some of the best — and worst — performances he posted against individual pitchers, per Rotowire.
Roy Halladay, .280/.340/.527
Ortiz stepped up to the plate to face Halladay 93 times, the most of any pitcher in his career. The hulking slugger got the better of the fellow Hall of Famer quite often. Ortiz had more hits (23), home runs (six) and RBIs (23) off of Halladay than any other pitcher.
Max Scherzer, .429/.520/.952
Scherzer is arguably the best pitcher of his generation, but was never able to use his fiery attitude to phase Big Papi. In 21 at-bats, Ortiz recorded nine hits with a pair of doubles and three home runs. He finished his career with a 1.472 OPS against the three-time Cy Young winner.
Felix Hernandez, .410/.490/.615
King Felix was one of the scariest pitchers to oppose him during his peak, but Ortiz was not intimidated. Based on the numbers, it was the other way around. Big Papi recorded 16 hits in 39 at-bats against Hernandez with two doubles and two tanks. The extra-base hits aren’t astounding, but the Red Sox slugger was able to get on base with ease against Hernandez.
Chris Archer, .375/.432/.775
Ortiz and Archer had a storied rivalry throughout their many American League East matchups. Their issues began when Ortiz launched one of his four career home runs against Archer, and the second-year pitcher took offense to Big Papi’s gaze at the bomb and slow trot around the bases.
Archer did more talking off the field, while Ortiz retaliated on the diamond. The slugger recorded 15 hits, four doubles and 19 RBIs on his way to a 1.207 OPS against the former ace of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Luis Severino, .429/.500/1.714
Ortiz and Severino only overlapped for seven at-bats in the historic rivalry, but that’s all it took to give the Yankees’ starter nightmares. Ortiz recorded three hits against the right-hander, all of which left the ballpark. Three solo shots and a walk combine to give Ortiz a 2.214 OPS against Severino.
There were also a small handful of pitchers that Ortiz never figured out, some of which are quite puzzling.
Bartolo Colon, .111/.158/.222
Colon only allowed four hits in 36 at-bats against Big Papi with 11 strikeouts to only two walks and a .380 OPS. Ortiz did manage to collect a home run and double off of Colon, but never saw the ball well off of the fan-favorite journeyman.
CC Sabathia, .225/.300/.352
Ortiz faced Sabathia 71 times, the third most at-bats he recorded against an individual pitcher. Of all of the pitchers he faced with regularity, Sabathia was the only one to make him look human. The six-time All-Star pitcher struck out Ortiz 17 times, more than anyone else in MLB history. He also only allowed five extra-base hits and six RBIs in the aforementioned 71 battles. Ortiz still was able to produce a respectable .652 OPS, but far lower than his career .931 OPS.
Brian Matusz, .138/.167/.241
Matusz was 27-42 with a 4.92 career ERA, but might have fared better in the MLB if there were more batters like Ortiz. Despite having an uninspiring career, Matusz held Big Papi to just four hits in 29 at-bats with three doubles and zero home runs allowed. Matusz is one of only five pitchers to face Ortiz at least 29 times and not allow a home run. The southpaw was also able to strike out Ortiz 13 times and only walked him once.
Kyle Farnsworth, .000/.250/.000
Farnsworth never made an All-Star Game or took home any hardware in his 16-year career. But he was the only pitcher in MLB history to oppose Ortiz at least 10 times without allowing a hit. In 11 at-bats against Farnsworth, Ortiz recorded a sac fly, four walks and six strikeouts.
Cliff Lee, .188/.212/.281
The former Cy Young winner limited Ortiz to as little damage as humanly possible during the slugger’s two-decade reign over pitching staffs. In 32 at-bats, Ortiz recorded six hits with three doubles, a lone RBI seven strikeouts and one walk. Not allowing a single home run to Ortiz in 32 at-bats is something only four pitchers can claim.
