J.D. proving to be a game-changer at plate for Mets
J.D. Martinez continues to drive in important runs for the Mets.
One game after launching the first walk-off home run of his career, the six-time All-Star smacked a key two-run double in the third inning of the Mets’ 2-1 win Friday night over the Padres at Citi Field. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza described Martinez afterward as “a professional hitter who uses the whole field,” and the career numbers back that up. The 15-year veteran is a lifetime .297 hitter over nearly 1,900 plate appearances with runners in scoring position.
“I just feel like my approach is I’m a big guy who hits the ball to the opposite field well for [slugging percentage],” Martinez said. “That’s a recipe for driving in runs, there’s really not an art to it. It’s doing that consistently, and not letting the pressure get to you.”
Martinez now has driven in eight runs over his past six appearances, as he continues to provide professional at-bats in the heart of the team’s batting or- der during a recent 9-4 stretch.
“Just the atmosphere [has changed], we keep talking about it. Kind of a no-pressure thing,” Martinez said. “No one’s thinking anything about the
Mets. They have us written off, so there’s no pressure, just go out and have fun.” Martinez, who went 1-for-3 with a walk, was signed as a free agent late in spring training, and he didn’t make his first appearance until April 26 due to a lower back issue.
Though the DH position was a glaring weakness for the team last season, Martinez has contributed six homers and 23 RBIs overall in 42 appearances.
One night after ripping a gamewinner homer to right field in the ninth inning against the Marlins, Martinez went to the opposite field again in Friday’s third inning for a two-run double to right against Padres knuckleballer Matt Waldron for a 2-0 lead and all the runs they would need.
“One through nine, he’s watching atbats after at-bats, sequencing in different situations,” Mendoza said of Martinez. “He’s very vocal about it. He’s not afraid to go up to his teammates and share his thoughts. It says a lot about who he is as a player, as a teammate, what he brings to the table, and it’s been a game-changer, the way he expresses himself in those hitters’ meetings and how he sees the game overall from the offensive side.
“He brings so much, and I don’t think it’s a secret. Guys go up to him, ask questions. He’ll bounce ideas off hitting coaches and myself. It’s a good environment and there’s a lot of dialogue going back and forth and it’s usually because of J.D. Martinez.”