There’s nothing quite like a proud father watching his son follow in his footsteps—and for David Ortiz, now that special moment has arrived. Big Papi’s son, D’Angelo Ortiz, is making waves with the Red Sox, carving out his own path in the baseball world. For a legend and a Boston icon like Ortiz, seeing his son don the same colors is the ultimate full-circle moment. And let’s just say, ‘Big Papi’ cannot be prouder.

Big Papi’s recent interview with the NESN Network shed light on several factors. But what caught the attention was his statement when quizzed about his son. Ortiz zeroed in on how good he feels to hear praises about his son and revealed the efforts that the 20-year-old has been putting in to build his name in the baseball arena.

“Very proud of [D’Angelo] because he doesn’t take anything for granted. A lot of people telling me how hard he’s been working, how excellent of a kid he is… and, as a father, those are the things that you want to hear,” expressed David Ortiz.

Continuing further, he also revealed the advice that he gives to his son about taking an ethical route to stardom.

“There is one thing I always told him was there is no shortcut in baseball. Just because you are my son, that doesn’t mean you are gonna get every pass. (In fact), when you are my son, you gonna have to put little more extra,” Ortiz remarked. Notably, this comes at a time when D’Angelo is taking part in his first spring training with the Boston Red Sox and many enthusiasts of the sport have already started drawing comparisons between the youngster and his father.

However, this is not the first time that David has swelled with pride over his son’s successful moments. 

When D’Angelo was drafted by the Red Sox last year, his father publicly expressed his pride and admitted being emotional. “That was unbelievable. It’s a great feeling. When you see your kids moving forward in their life, (getting) success and all this stuff, a lot of emotion go through you,” he said, adding, “Big boy, you know, let’s do it. Let’s keep up the good work. Daddy loves you.”

Interestingly, when it comes to D’Angelo, the youngster is motivated enough to blaze and leave behind some giant marks, just like his father. 

When D’Angelo Ortiz revealed his desire for a baseball career

Stepping into a sport that was once dominated by your father is not easy. It puts a lot of pressure, expectations, and hope, and the situation with D’Angelo is no different. However, at just 20 years of age, the budding star has embraced that challenge, looking forward to facing every bit and piece head-on.

Speaking about his aspirations for the sport in 2021, D’Angelo shared that he wants to be on the list of top players.

“That’s how I’ve thought since the first day that I came here — and it’s not something to just talk about,” he said. “It’s a grind every day that you see that wall and it makes you want to work harder. To know that this is a school that, if you do what you need to do, you can go somewhere, that’s motivating in itself,” D’Angelo said.

Now, as his stint with the Red Sox evolves, it will be interesting to see if he manages to create a long-term place for himself in the team. Think he will outshine his father David Ortiz’s legacy in the long run?