David Ortiz, the Boston Red Sox legend known to the world as Big Papi, has had a characteristically loud October 2026. The latest Big Papi news sees the Hall of Famer doing what he does best: speaking his mind. From blasting his old club over their playoff exit to praising the young star lighting up the National League Championship Series, Ortiz has been at the centre of baseball’s biggest conversations this week.
Here is everything the Fox Sports analyst has said and done in recent days.
Blasting the Red Sox after the Yankees sweep
The harshest words came after the Boston Red Sox were swept 2-0 by the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series. Ortiz, appearing in an interview with Julian Edelman for Fox Sports, pulled no punches about what he saw as a deep-rooted problem in the clubhouse.
His diagnosis was simple: the team is missing attitude. Ortiz said he had not seen the required fire and grit from the Red Sox in their recent trips to the Bronx, arguing that the problem went far beyond the scoreline of one series. Boston were outscored 18-2 across the two games, and their offence barely got going, but for Ortiz the real concern was cultural — a team that once played with an edge in New York now looks, in his view, like it is simply going through the motions.
Not sparing the Yankees either
In a twist only Ortiz could deliver, the former Red Sox slugger also turned his critical eye on the Yankees themselves. After New York were swept out of the American League Championship Series by the Tampa Bay Rays, Big Papi argued that the Bronx’s problems run deeper than the roster.
With key players absent and the line-up crumbling under October pressure, Ortiz insisted that talent was not the issue. Instead, he said the Yankees had lost the team identity and mental toughness that once made them feared, calling for a return to the old mentality rather than another shopping spree for star names. Coming from a man who built his legend by tormenting the Yankees, the criticism carried extra sting — and marked a third straight season of October disappointment for the Bronx club.
The ultimate compliment for Jackson Chourio
On the Fox broadcast desk alongside Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, Ortiz has been covering the NLCS between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers. One player has earned his highest praise: 22-year-old Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio.
Ortiz compared the Venezuelan youngster to a young Miguel Cabrera, one of the most feared hitters of his generation and a future Hall of Famer. He praised the way Chourio comes to play with purpose, warning that any pitcher who gives him an opportunity will pay for it. The numbers back up the hype: Chourio smashed a first-pitch home run off Blake Snell in Game 3 of the series, taking his postseason tally to six home runs before his 23rd birthday — a new major-league record — while his 18 RBIs have also set a mark for players under 23.
With the Brewers leading the series 3-0, Ortiz even drew on his own famous experience of a 3-0 comeback — the 2004 Red Sox against the Yankees — to argue that the Dodgers should play with nothing to lose.
A fun moment with Kate Upton and Verlander
Not all of Ortiz’s October moments were about criticism. During Justin Verlander’s broadcast analyst debut earlier in the month, Verlander read out a text he had just received from his wife, Kate Upton, who had been watching the show from home. The message? She loved Ortiz’s “blinged out earpiece.”
Ortiz proudly showed off the sparkling earpiece for the cameras, jokingly sending his love back to Kate, while the rest of the panel teased Verlander about his wife’s excellent taste. It was a light-hearted reminder of why Big Papi remains one of the most beloved figures in the sport.
Why Big Papi still matters every October
Ortiz retired as a player years ago, but October remains his stage. Whether he is holding struggling teams to account, recognising the next generation or simply lighting up the broadcast desk with his personality, the Big Papi latest news proves his voice still carries enormous weight in baseball.
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