Red Sox View Astros Slugger As ‘Closest Thing’ To David Ortiz

BOSTON — Houston Astros slugger Yordan Álvarez loves hitting at Fenway Park.

Álvarez improved upon his incredible career numbers at America’s Most Beloved Ballpark on Saturday, belting a pair of home runs at the field in which he’s now slashing .463/.569/1.024 in 11 games. The 27-year-old has eight total home runs in Boston now, including one in the 2021 American League Championship Series — in which he won MVP.

It’s absurd how good he is against the Red Sox.

Boston has been burned by Álvarez plenty in recent years, and with another dominant performance in Saturday’s win, he’s now drawing comparisons to one of the greatest hitters in the history of Fenway Park.

“He controls the strike zone,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said following Saturday’s loss. “He hits for average. He takes his walks. For me, he’s up there with (Aaron) Judge. He’s a lefty, hits lefties. It seems like he likes hitting here, keeps things close and shoots it up the other way. He’s the closest thing to David… very, very similar to David Ortiz.”

Álvarez-Ortiz comparisons might come as a surprise, but the former is well on his way to matching — if not surpassing — the career accolades of the National Baseball Hall of Famer — while hitting for a better average.

The Red Sox will have to contend with the all-world slugger four more times this season, so don’t get too comfortable, folks.