When it comes to his rivalry with Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz has never believed in pulling punches. His latest jab, however, might be his most personal yet, as he credited A-Rod‘s brief social media superiority to one person: Jennifer Lopez.
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In a recent podcast with Abriendo Sports, the Red Sox legend talked about his social media dominance compared to current players.
“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,” Ortiz remarked.
Rodriguez started dating Lopez in 2017. GQ branded them as a “power couple” during that period. J-Rod even graced the cover of Vanity Fair in their first year of dating. Even though the pair got engaged in 2019, they called it off in 2021. But in those four years, they were seen together in several events, from the Met Gala to the Super Bowl, which evidently increased A-Rod’s popularity.
And Big Papi indicated to that period only. The one time someone surpassed him was when Alex Rodriguez got engaged to American Singer Jennifer Lopez.
Ortiz joked, “He (Alex Rodriguez) grabbed her and said, ‘Be good for something’.”
Ortiz also mentioned that he uses 2 social media profiles: “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.
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. Show more
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.”
In fact, during the 2025 season, A-Rod also took his chances to get back at David Ortiz.
Alex Rodriguez has also had the upper hand in trolling Big Papi
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.
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.
Rodriguez then tossed the prop away, saying, “Beat it, Wally” to close the segment.
The bond between Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz moves far beyond baseball. And it has now turned more into banter than a rivalry.
