Along with David Ortiz's storied Hall of Fame career comes equally dramatic numbers and statistics to back up the hype and excitement.
To give a brief overview of Big Papi's greatness, his overall career numbers set the tone of how impactful he really was: Ortiz recorded 2,472 hits, 632 doubles, 19 triples, 541 home runs, 1,419 runs and 1,768 RBIs.
The left-handed power bat ranks 12th all-time in doubles and 17th in Major League Baseball history in home runs. He's also one of the most clutch hitters to ever live.
Now, let's dive into some of the craziest stats/numbers in Ortiz's career:
Ortiz was one of the most consistent power hitters in MLB history
Big Papi is one of 11 players to record 10 seasons with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. Alex Rodriguez has the most ever with 14. Jimmie Foxx, Albert Pujols and Manny Ramirez are tied for second with 12 such seasons and Ortiz could've been right up there with a little more luck. On Ortiz's way to this mark, he had 28 home runs with 99 RBIs in 2009 and 29 home runs with 96 RBIs in 2011.
Big Papi set the postseason on fire as one of the most influential members in Red Sox history
Ortiz's legacy was born in the postseason, and his numbers back that up. The left-handed slugger has the most hits (80), doubles (19), home runs (17), RBIs (57), walks (59), intentional walks (11), total bases (154) and extra-base hits (38) in Red Sox postseason history.
Speaking of postseason success, Ortiz had one of the most ridiculous World Series runs ever
With the Red Sox struggling to find any source of offense in the 2013 postseason, Ortiz put the team on his back like no baseball player had before during the World Series.
The then-37-year-old designated hitter hit .688 with two doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and eight walks to just one strikeout while posting a 1.948 OPS. He was the clear World Series MVP.
Ortiz was one of the most feared hitters in the league at 40 years old
Big Papi called it a career because it took so much time for him to prepare and recover for games as compared to his early years. It certainly was not because he aged out of the league. In his final season, Ortiz hit .315 with 38 home runs. He led the league in doubles (48), RBIs (127), slugging percentage (.620) and OPS (1.021). Age was not going to stop the 6-foot-3, 230-pound slugger, and opponents feared him for it.
Ortiz also led the league in intentional walks (15) in his final season. As the numbers indicate, he was not given free passes for his storied history, but because he was the best power hitter in the game, as well.
