Ortiz: Red Sox have 'unbelievable future in their hands'
David Ortiz won't be part of it, but the soon-to-be-retired 40-year-old is excited about the future of the Boston Red Sox.
"I’m super impressed with these kids. This organization has an unbelievable future in their hands with these kids. I watch these kids and I feel like I’m with a group of veterans, like they know what they’re doing," Ortiz said, according to Tim Britton of the Providence Journal. "We're talking about guys in their 20s - not even late 20s. This organization's future is in good hands."
After denying the media a post-game scrum Saturday following his walk-off heroics at Fenway Park - albeit while leaving them with one epic sound byte - Ortiz couldn't say enough about his team's crop of talented youngsters as he chatted with reporters ahead of Sunday's series finale.
"I just like watching these young kids being so mature. Watching the way they handle their business is something that has been unbelievable this year," Ortiz said. "A guy like me, that’s really good motivation - these kids come in and out every day and just try to get better. It's something that I love seeing.
"It's like coming to school every day. They always have questions, they always want to know what the answers are going to be. During the game, they're always trying to figure things out. That young and that talented and with that approach, you're definitely going to be a superstar."
Ortiz's optimism isn't misplaced. Between Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts, the Red Sox employ two of the 11 players age 25 or younger with at least 5.5 WAR since the start of 2014, and the club has received significant contributions this year from Jackie Bradley Jr. and Travis Shaw, who are both only 26.
| Name | Age | WAR | wRC+ | HR | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bogaerts | 23.6 | 2.2 | 142 | 3 | 6 |
| Betts | 23.6 | 0.7 | 94 | 6 | 7 |
| Bradley | 26.1 | 1.4 | 167 | 6 | 2 |
| Shaw | 26.1 | 1.8 | 166 | 5 | 3 |
"It feels like one of those years where everything is coming positive, coming in the right direction and coming from a different direction. That’s one of the most important things," Ortiz said. "Yeah, I hit a walkoff last night, but a lot of guys did different things to put us in the spot, put us in different situations where we can win a game again. It’s not just me. It’s got me super motivated. Things are going good."