David Ortiz Has Harsh Words for Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani

Maren Angus-Coombs | Sep 10, 2024

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Shohei Ohtani heads into Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs boasting an impressive 46 home runs and 47 stolen bases, setting new records practically every time he takes the field.

He’s the clear front-runner for the National League MVP award, and it’s not hard to see why.

After signing a massive 10-year, $700 million contract during the offseason, Ohtani has been at the center of attention all season long. And with every game, that spotlight only gets hotter as he inches closer to becoming the first player in baseball history to achieve a 50-50 season.

Ohtani's performance has even caught the eye of Baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz, but perhaps not in the way you'd expect. Ortiz, who was primarily a designated hitter during his two-decade career, never won an American League MVP award himself. His comments, reported by Marca.com, reveal a touch of envy.

“They always had ‘issues’ not to give me the MVP because I was a designated hitter. I’m going to see what they’re going to say this year when Ohtani, the ‘pretty girl’ of MLB, is in the race,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz does have a point when it comes to home runs and RBIs. This season, Ohtani surpassed 100 RBIs for the first time in his career, while Ortiz’s best season was in 2005 when he drove in 148. But Ortiz conveniently leaves out the stolen base stat — he only managed 17 stolen bases in his entire career.

With this home run, Shohei Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to have 45 home runs and 45 stolen bases in the same season.

It also put him at 100 RBIs on the year.

Just an unbelievable talent and an incredible season in his first year with the Dodgers. pic.twitter.com/d0M2j20lpG

— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) September 7, 2024

Ortiz didn’t stop there, though. He also took a shot at the media, accusing them of promoting Ohtani's historic achievements while sidelining other talented players, like Francisco Lindor.

“Every day they are encouraging Ohtani to reach 50-50, while players like Francisco Lindor are being held back,” Ortiz remarked.

Ohtani's incredible season is making waves and stirring a bit of controversy among baseball legends. As he continues to make history, the debate over his place in the game — and who might be getting overlooked in the process — is only heating up. But for now, all eyes remain on Ohtani as he chases that unprecedented 50-50 milestone.

Is Francisco Lindor having a solid season? Absolutely. Would the Mets still be in the hunt for a Wild Card spot without him? Probably not. But you could make a similar case for Shohei Ohtani. Would the Dodgers be the top team in baseball without him? Highly unlikely, especially given their struggle with injuries this season.

As of Sept. 6, Ohtani had a Wins Above Replacement (bWAR) of 7.0, which outshines David Ortiz’s career-high of 6.4 in 2007, according to Baseball Reference. Yet, Ortiz insists that the MVP conversation should be fair, not swayed by media hype.

At the end of the day, the MVP award should go to the most deserving player. And right now, it’s tough to argue against Ohtani, especially when he’s on the verge of a historic 50-50 season.