It's hard to compare any of today's kids to the very best players from the PED era because some of those top-ends were roid enhanced, and we don't really know which ones. Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, Palmeiro? Obviously. Biggio, Bagwell, even Gar? Suspicious careers, with Biggio hitting for more homers from 38-40 than from 23-27 and Edgar having one of the best seasons ever for a 38 year old (until it was surpassed by PED users like Bonds coming along behind him).
Ortiz is in the in-between category as suspiciously-obvious, I guess. He was mentioned in a report, complained viciously that it was unfair, and then of course continued merrily along hitting like a roider. He's putting up the best season of his stats-packed career at age 40.
The swing is reminiscent of Big Papi, but what does that swing produce in the Safe and without the Cream and the Clear (or whatever the kids are using these days) I'd take the clean version of that profile and be really happy. Let's hope that's it. And then I'll hope that Boston's version gets in the HOF and clears the way for Gar with the vet committee, I suppose.
The times were (are?) the times, and Ortiz has had a HOF career.