Boston Red Sox: David Ortiz worthy of MVP consideration
After an unforgettable final season, Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz is proving his case on why he should be the American League MVP.
David Ortiz can be compared to a nice bottle of wine – the older it gets, the better it becomes.
Ortiz is having one of the best seasons of his career at the ‘ripe’ age of 40. He’s been consistent with the bat and one of the key reasons why the Boston Red Sox are on the verge of winning the American League East division.
But with how Ortiz is playing, does he have the numbers to be looked at as the A.L. MVP?
In my mind, absolutely.
Entering today, Ortiz is tied for 2nd in the American League in batting average with teammate Mookie Betts (.321), 1st in doubles (48), 7th in home runs (37), 2nd in RBI’s (124), 2nd in OBP (.406), and 1st in both SLG (.632) and OPS (1.039).
I don’t know about you, but that right there is pretty impressive from a guy who is about to hang up the cleats.
If Ortiz were to be named the MVP after this season, he would be the first designated hitter ever to win this award. This is where people always start the argument on how players like Ortiz should not win this achievement.
Since Ortiz is a designated hitter, he contributes very little to none whatsoever on defense. With that being said, a select few say that if he doesn’t help his team win on both sides of the field, he doesn’t deserve be named MVP. Some people believe that the MVP should help their team win both on the field and in the batter’s box.
In this certain situation, I think it’s ridiculous.
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Obviously there is a lot of competition this year for MVP with Mookie Betts, José Altuve and reigning MVP Josh Donaldson. But what Ortiz is doing this year is unheard of.
Last week he passed former Oakland A’s slugger Dave Kingman for most home runs ever by a Major League player in their final season. Ortiz also passed Shoeless Joe Jackson a few days ago for having the most RBI’s ever by Major League player in their final season.
You don’t see this everyday folks.
Does Ortiz contribute defensively for the Sox? No. But where do you think the Red Sox would be without Ortiz in the lineup this year? Probably thinking of rebuilding for the 2017 season.
Like I stated before, Ortiz is having a farewell season that no one will ever forget. But with the Red Sox qualifying for the postseason, Ortiz just punched his ticket to play October baseball one last time. And we all know how he plays in the Fall.
For now, Ortiz’s focus is to win the division and get home field advantage throughout the postseason. But when October rolls around and the fun really begins, it’s time for Ortiz to continue his legendary legacy in the playoffs.
So do I think David Ortiz should win MVP? Just look at the numbers I stated earlier in this article and check out how his team is doing. Both of those reasons should answer my question.