Back in 2003, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees had a rivalry like no other. They were ready to hurt each other if necessary to win games by throwing pitches at players rather than the zone. That is when we saw the rivalry between David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez come up. And to this day, the rivalry continues, but not at the same intensity.
In a recent podcast with Abriendo Sports, the Red Sox legend talked about his social media dominance compared to current players. Ortiz said, “You know, it’s been 10 years since I retired, and there’s no active player with more followers than I do… Alex went on top for a bit. You know, Alex with the whole JLo thing.”
David Ortiz, in the podcast, boasted about his social media dominance. But he did say that the one guy who went on top of him was Alex Rodriguez. And Big Papi said that this was during the time Alex Rodriguez was engaged to American Singer Jennifer Lopez.
Ortiz joked and said, “He (Alex Rodriguez) grabbed her and said, Be good for something.”
David Ortiz really said AROD needed the JLO boost
Written and translated by Master Flip
“You know, it’s been 10 years since I retired, and there’s no active player with more followers than I do. Actually, Alex went on top for a bit. You know, Alex with the whole JLo thing.… pic.twitter.com/0eAqFJ4H4Z
— Master Flip
(@Masterflip_) April 6, 2026
Ortiz also pointed out that he uses 2 social media profiles. He said, “One I use to fool around with the guys, and the other for business.” But this isn’t the first time David Ortiz has trolled A-Rod.
During the 2021 ALCS against the Red Sox, fans started to chant “J.Lo” at Rodriguez, and David Ortiz was there encouraging them to be louder. At the All-Star Game in Denver, Ortiz again pushed “J.Lo” chants toward Rodriguez.
But that is not the only place Ortiz has kept the rivalry alive. During the 2025 postseason games, the New York Yankees were facing the Toronto Blue Jays. After the Blue Jays beat the Yankees 3-1, Ortiz wasted no time in trolling Alex Rodriguez.
Ortiz and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. repeatedly shouted, “Daaaa Yankees lose.” He even appeared on Alex Rodriguez’s Instagram video, repeating “Daaaa Yankees lose.”
This shows that the bond between Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz moves far beyond baseball and has turned more into banter than a rivalry.
Alex Rodriguez has also had the upper hand in trolling Big Papi
During the 2025 season, Alex Rodriguez also took his chances to get back at David Ortiz.
On the 4th of October, Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz shared the FOX pregame desk before the ALDS game 1. It was the series between the Jays and the Yankees.
But A-Rod took a dig at David Ortiz, mentioning the Red Sox, whom the Yankees beat to get to the ALDS.
Rodriguez revealed Wally the Green Monster head as a prop, linking Boston’s loss to humor. He framed the gesture as consolation after Boston dropped Game 3 at Yankee Stadium. Rookie Cam Schlittler pitched a master class in Game 3 of the Wild Card to get the Yankees a 2-1 win over the Red Sox.
That result made the Yankees the third team to win the Wild Card Series after losing Game 1.
David Ortiz responded calmly, kissing the mascot’s head and saying he still loved Wally. Ortiz stayed calm and took it as a playful dig and not seriously, despite the Yankees winning the elimination game.
Rodriguez then tossed the prop away, saying Beat it, Wally to close the segment.
