David Ortiz Franchise Home Run Leader

Lore & Background

Ortiz played a leading role in ending the Red Sox's 86-year World Series championship drought in 2004, as well as winning championships in 2007 and 2013. He set the team's single-season record of 54 home runs in 2006. He was a 10-time All-Star and a seven-time Silver Slugger winner. He received the Edgar Martínez Award as the league's top DH eight times. He had 10 regular-season walk-off home runs for the Red Sox and three walk-off hits in the 2004 postseason (two home runs and one single). In 2022, Ortiz was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Reader's Guide

Ortiz was used almost exclusively as a DH during his 14 seasons with the Red Sox. He set major league records for career home runs (485), RBIs (1,569) and hits (2,192) as a DH. He posted ten seasons each with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs, and batted .300 or better seven times. Upon retirement, he ranked sixth in AL history with 541 home runs, fifth in doubles (632) and ninth in RBIs (1,768).

Did You Know?

• Ortiz was originally signed by the Seattle Mariners in 1992 and listed as 'David Arias' due to unfamiliarity with Spanish naming customs.
• He was traded to the Minnesota Twins as the player to be named later in 1996.
• Ortiz met his future wife Tiffany while playing for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, and she led him to become a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan.
• He hit his first major league grand slam at Fenway Park against Ramón Martínez.