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David Ortiz

Fantasy Baseball Hitter David Ortiz - Big Papi

Fantasy baseball player profile - David Ortiz.

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David Ortiz is one of my favorite hitters in baseball. I love watching him hit. He's not only consistently productive, but David Ortiz is also the best clutch hitter going right now. If you need a hit in the bottom of the ninth, you send up Big Papi. He's a great pick for your fantasy baseball lineup.

David Ortiz - Big Papi - Fantasy Baseball Hitter

32-year old David Ortiz is a monster bat in the middle of the Red Sox lineup. He already holds the Red Sox record for single-season home runs. With Manny Ramirez sitting behind him in the line-up, opposing teams cannot afford to pitch around him. David Ortiz sees lots of strikes, which allows him to drive balls out of the ball park.

The ball park is another advantage for Big Papi. Playing 81 games a year in Fenway Park is a huge advantage for a hitter, especially a left-handed power hitter like Ortiz. With the short porch in right field, you can add an extra 5-10 home runs per year which would be fly outs in most other parks.

As with any power hitter, Papi has high strike out totals. That means you'll have the occasional night were Ortiz posts a zero, or negative points if your league takes points off for strikeouts. But that also means you will have nights when Ortiz hits a couple of dingers and his double digits fantasy points are a huge reason why your team wins.

David Ortiz - Big Papi - Background

Interestingly, David Ortiz came into pro baseball under the name David Arias. In his native Dominican Republic, his full name was David Ortiz Arias. He signed with the Seattle Mariners organization at the age of 17 (1992), but never got to the bigs in the Mariners system. He was traded by Seattle to the Minnesota Twins, which is where Ortiz broke into the majors.

From the 1997 to 2002 seasons, Big Papi was up and down from AAA to the majors in the Twins system. In 2002, Ortiz was a contributor to the Twins team which made it to the AL Championship series. The Twins lost to the Angels, and that was David's last game in a Twins uniform.

That season, he signed with the Boston Red Sox, where he has quickly become one of the legendary Red Sox players. Big Papi is a fan favorite, winning the AL Championship Series MVP in the Red Sox mythical come-from-behind series win over the hated Yankees.

David Ortiz - Big Papi Fantasy Baseball Impact

David Ortiz should have another fine year for the Red Sox. Playing in the American League is always an advantage, because the game is geared to scoring. If you don't like injury risks, you might avoid Big Papi. He was pulled from the line up a couple of times late in 2006 with an irregular heartbeat. Medical personnel say he is completely recovered, but I know fantasy baseball owners who do not like such question marks.

One thing in Ortiz's favor is his position as a designated hitter. That means he is less prone to wear down over the season, because he is basically watching baseball instead of playing it all year. Expect over 40 home runs and at least 120 RBIs this year for Ortiz.