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Big Papi Has A Message For The New York Yankees

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 11:06 PM ET

Highlights:
• David Ortiz on MLB on FOX: “They can bring Jesus back, and they’re still going to Cancun. It’s over. It’s a wrap.”
• Ortiz’s line came as Alex Rodriguez suggested a mental reset; Derek Jeter laughed on set
• Blue Jays lead the ALDS 2–0 heading to Yankee Stadium

After the New York Yankees were hammered for a second straight loss by the Toronto Blue Jays, former Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz took it upon himself to call it.

On the MLB on FOX set next to Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter, Ortiz pronounced the season finished: “They can bring Jesus back, and they’re still going to Cancun. It’s over. It’s a wrap.”

Rodriguez had just floated the idea that New York could mentally reset after getting hammered twice; Jeter laughed as Ortiz cut through the optimism with a verdict that landed because the scoreboard already had.

Ortiz added that Toronto’s lineup “ain’t playing around,” which matched the way the first two games looked from the batter’s box to the bullpen gate.

Jeter just laughed.

Jul 16, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees former players Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter and Boston Reds Sox former player David Ortiz look on before the 2024 MLB All-Star game at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Then, when Jeter tried to give a little bit of hope to Yankees fans, Big Papi shut him down.

"The only chance the Yankees have is if you (Mariano Rivera), Andy [Pettitte], and A-Rod come back and play," he said, laughing. "And Babe Ruth. Roger Maris. Mickey Mantle."

What history says

The Division Series math is pretty bleak.

In the 2–2–1 format, teams that win both Games 1 and 2 at home have advanced 31 of 34 times, a 91.2 percent hit rate with 20 sweeps tucked inside it. The most recent team to flip that script is the one the Bronx knows best: the 2017 Yankees, who climbed out of an 0–2 hole against Cleveland, according to MLB.com.

That context will be repeated on every broadcast between now and first pitch of Game 3.

If New York wants to make this more than a history lesson, it has to force a different kind of game in its own park and make Toronto answer a question it hasn’t faced yet in this series.

What Toronto has done

The Blue Jays have won counts, attacked the big part of the plate when leverage arrived, and kept their defense and bullpen tight so far.

At-bats have been patient early and violent when the pitch showed shape. The damage hasn’t required hero swings; it has come from stacked plate appearances that turned 0–0 into 2–1 and 2–1,

The good news is that the Blue Jays' offense at the Rogers Centre, where the Yankees are 1-7 this season, is markedly better than on the road. Their team batting average is 11 points, and their OPS is 54 points higher at home than on the road.

Still, Big Papi knows the history and his prediction isn't ridiculous.

On Saturday, the Yankees got shut down by a rookie making his fourth start in the big leagues. The Blue Jays chased the Yankees' ace, Max Fried, in the fourth inning.

Tuesday night, the Yankees need to see their superstars like Aaron Judge step up or they could very well be packing their bags for the offseason.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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