Five worst developments

By Tony Massarotti, Globe Staff

3. The spectacular struggles of David Ortiz

Given Ortiz’s recent resurgence, we’re not sure if people realize just how bad things were in the first two months of the season. Through May 31, among the 191 major leaguers with at least 150 plate appearances, Ortiz ranked 185th in OPS. That is what the Red Sox got from their multimillion-dollar No. 3 hitter. Ortiz has since morphed back into his old self -- he is fourth in AL in OPS among players with 100 plate appearances since June 1 -- but the question remains: Will the real Papi please stand up? If Ortiz flat lines again in the second half, the Red Sox could be in big trouble. His contract status (signed through 2010) and overall decline seem to make the Bay negotiations all the more critical.
Given Ortiz’s recent resurgence, we’re not sure if people realize just how bad things were in the first two months of the season. Through May 31, among the 191 major leaguers with at least 150 plate appearances, Ortiz ranked 185th in OPS. That is what the Red Sox got from their multimillion-dollar No. 3 hitter . Ortiz has since morphed back into his old self -- he is fourth in AL in OPS among players with 100 plate appearances since June 1 -- but the question remains: Will the real Papi please stand up? If Ortiz flat lines again in the second half, the Red Sox could be in big trouble. His contract status (signed through 2010) and overall decline seem to make the Bay negotiations all the more critical.
Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin