Nothing like a proud father watching his son follow the same footsteps as him—this precious moment has finally arrived for David Ortiz. Big Papi’s son, D’Angelo Ortiz, is carving out his own name in the Boston Red Sox. And for an icon of the same city, seeing his son don the same colors as him is a full-circle moment; let’s just say—he couldn’t be prouder of it. When D’Angelo was drafted by Boston last year, Ortiz was over the moon.

He said that it was unbelievable and a great feeling. “When you see your kids moving forward in their life, (getting) success and all this stuff, a lot of emotions go through you,” Ortiz mentioned, sharing a special message for his son, “Big boy, you know, let’s do it. Let’s keep up the good work. Daddy loves you.” And well, he is doing great at spring training now. However, with this also comes the nepotism angle and questions of whether his son is as good as him. When asked about comparisons between his 20-year-old self and D’Angelo, David was clear—their journeys are different.

David Ortiz emphasized that despite his son having all the opportunities, there is no comparison, and the main differentiation was that his son has choices he didn’t. “I think it’s got to be harder for him because I got no other choice. He had choices, you know?” Ortiz said, and there is a logic behind this. Ortiz grew up in the Dominican Republic and had to fight for his spot; he was navigating the sport all by himself; he didn’t have someone guiding him or a plethora of teams lined up. But for his son, D’Angelo, things, of course, have been different. “When you don’t have any choice, you have to just agree with things—probably things that you don’t even like. But when you have choices, it’s different,” Ortiz further added.

However, that being said, D’Angelo, even after having such ample opportunities, has been dedicated to his work, and Ortiz is aware of his hard work. Ortiz says his son will face the challenge, and that’s of comparison: “At the end of the day, being my son comes with a challenge. Everybody expects you to be good just because you’re my son—but it doesn’t work that way. You got the genes, you got the tools, but if you don’t want it, it’s never going to happen.” In a time when many kids take their parents’ success as their own, this is refreshing, thanks to Ortiz’s parenting.

David Ortiz raised D’Angelo for more than baseball

David Ortiz didn’t just shape his son to be the athlete that he is today; he prepped him for life. From very early on, he made it clear to his son that things wouldn’t be handed down with a silver spoon and prayer to him. “I don’t raise my kids like that,” said Ortiz. And for him, the paramount things were teaching his children the value of hard work and also the value of being humble.

Ortiz mentioned teaching them the blessings they have and the lifestyle they maintain—that’s not real. “The lifestyle they grew up in—that’s not reality. You’re lucky to have those opportunities. But in the real world, this is what it is.” To tell the black and white as is, take a lot, and he did that, and the result is his son, who is humble, grounded, and gets along with people. The Boston Red Sox legend is extremely proud that his kids are growing up as responsible people. He said, “All my kids, they’re good kids. Professional, respectful, and they try to follow in my footsteps.”

Well, for A’Angelo, his journey in baseball has only just started. He is young, and right now he is in the process of not chasing his father’s legacy but making one of his own. As Big Papi mentioned, it will be a huge challenge, and sure, criticism and comparison may come. But shying away from it will not be an option. And given whose son he is, and blood is thick—that’s not going to happen.

Have you watched D’Angelo in action? Spoiler alert—he does swing so much like his father! With that leg kick and finish.