David Ortiz Isn’t the Same ‘Big Papi’ When He Doesn’t Start
The Red Sox gave Mike Napoli the start at first base in Philadelphia on Wednesday, relegating David Ortiz to the bench until he entered the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning. With no outs and runners on first and second, Ortiz struck out.
No one can question Ortiz as one of the clutch hitters in baseball history, and one of the top sluggers the Red Sox have ever employed. Pinch hitting him in the pitcher’s spot was absolutely a smart move, and with the Red Sox trailing 4-1 at the time, facing Ortiz in a situation where he could tie the game with one mighty swing must have been terrifying for the Phillies.
That said, Ortiz does not have a track record for success as a pinch hitter. He’s a lifetime .176 hitter off the bench and his slugging percentage in those situations is a mere .370. In 108 career at bats off the bench, he’s hit five home runs and driven in 20 runs.
Ortiz is a cerebral hitter. When he spoke out against baseball’s new pace of play rules in spring training, he harped on the mental process of hitters being circumscribed.
“When you come out of the box, you’re thinking about what the [pitcher] is trying to do,’’ Ortiz said. “I’m not walking around just because there are cameras all over the place and I want my buddies back home to see me.’’
Ortiz wasn’t thinking about his buddies back home Wednesday, but his career splits indicate he would have been in a better position to succeed if he had two or three at bats to get his timing down and think about how the Phillies game-planned to pitch to him.
No one needs to be reminded how good Ortiz is, but here’s the stark contrast. As a starter, he hits 111 points higher, and his OPS is 246 points better. His sample size as a bench player isn’t large enough to be a definitive indicator of failure, but his 131 career plate appearances as a sub equate to a six-week slump. That’s enough to at least be noteworthy.
Ortiz struggled on Opening Day even though he was in the starting lineup, and it was Napoli who entered the game as a defensive replacement and drew a walk in his lone plate appearance. Napoli is an accomplished hitter in his own right and a respected leader in the clubhouse. More than anything, the Red Sox are victims of circumstance for not being able to utilize their best American League rules lineup in National League ballparks.
But Boston has to play the hand the schedule makers dealt them. John Farrell will have plenty of decisions scrutinized over the course of the 2015 season, and what to do with Ortiz in NL ballparks will be among them.
What isn’t up for scrutiny is whether David Ortiz is more productive as a starter over the life of his major league career. He simply isn’t the same “Big Papi’’ when asked to come off the bench.
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