Next generation: Sox draft Big Papi's son, Angels take Ramirez's kid

BOSTON -- Could you imagine?

It’s the question Baseball Hall of Famer and Boston legend David Ortiz asked three years ago when presented with the idea that one day his son D’Angelo might also end up wearing a Red Sox uniform.

That once seemingly far-fetched dream took a big step closer to becoming reality on Tuesday afternoon, after the Red Sox selected D’Angelo in the 19th round (567th overall pick) of the 2024 MLB Draft.

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“It means a lot to the organization,” Red Sox amateur scouting director Devin Pearson said. “But I just want to make it clear that D’Angelo is a prospect and the reason we selected him is a result of the relationship that our area scout has had with the player for a long time. And we had him at a workout recently and got to interact with him, just felt like it was a good add to the organization. And it’s a plus that his dad’s David Ortiz, but we drafted him as a prospect.”

D’Angelo is a sophomore at Miami Dade Community College who splits his time between third base and the outfield. Listed at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, D’Angelo has a power-hitting frame and the results to match. In 51 games for the Sharks this season, the 20-year-old slashed .377/.467/.434 with 35 RBIs.

“He’s a power-hitting third baseman that’s athletic, and we’re going to try and get as much power out of him as we can,” Pearson said.

Sound familiar?

There are certainly comps between the little Papi and the big Papi, but D’Angelo has worked to cement himself as his own player. For one, he bats and throws right-handed, as opposed to his dad’s lefty ways. D’Angelo wore No. 12 before opting for No. 3, foregoing the opportunity to don his dad’s No. 34, which was retired by the Red Sox.

“D’Angelo is the type of kid that lives for this,” Ortiz told MLB.com. “I have been a mentor, but not at the level that I thought. In my mind, I thought I was going to have to push him. I haven’t really pushed him. He’s the one who wants it. And this kid is totally dedicated to baseball. … I’m very excited and very proud at the same time, because he’s a good kid.”

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D’Angelo had his eyes set on the Draft in 2022, when he was a new graduate of Westminster Christian School in South Florida. The school which had produced five big leaguers in Alex Rodriguez, Doug Mientkiewicz, J.P. Arencibia, Dan Perkins and Mickey Lopez, and D’Angelo had hoped to be the sixth.

Though it took a couple more years for the dream to materialize, D’Angelo finally experienced the moment of hearing his name called on Tuesday. And to have it be called by the Red Sox made it all the more special.

“I'm so happy, because that's my team,” Ortiz said. “That's my team, and my son getting the opportunity … I always say this, ‘The sky's the limit.’ When I came to the Red Sox, nobody was expecting me to be who I became, I just worked my butt off and God blessed me with my ability. And here we are today. You never know that [could be] the same thing that might work out for him. Who knows.”

D’Angelo joined the ranks of a number of draftees with legacy ties in this year’s MLB Draft, including the son of his father’s teammate. Lucas Ramirez, son of 12-time All-Star and Red Sox Hall of Famer Manny Ramirez, was taken by the Angels in the 17th round on Tuesday.

“I saw him hit a long home run at one point, left-handed hitter,” Angels scouting director Tim McIlvaine said. “So I don't know if he's got dad's genes or not. I hope he does, we’ll see. But he was really excited. I called him today, and he couldn't have been more grateful. Tears on the phone -- the whole deal. He couldn't have been more excited. So it's really turned into a nice story. He's deserved every piece of that. He’s a good hitter, he's got power, he's got a big body and he's strong. So we’re excited to get him out here and turn him loose.”