Dodgers News: MLB Analyst Breaks Down How J.D. Martinez Revitalized His Career With LA
The resurgence of J.D. Martinez has been one of the best and most unlikely stories of the season for the Dodgers.
The team took a flier on him this offseason, signing the 35-year-old to a one-year, $10 million contract after his production dipped during his last year with the Boston Red Sox, where he made four All-Star Game appearances over five years with the team.
So far, the return on investment for the Dodgers has been higher than just about anyone thought it could be.
He’s put up a slash line of .265/.306/.610 with 16 home runs and 47 RBI in 2023, looking very much like a candidate to make the All Star Game again, and establishing himself as a real threat in the Dodgers lineup in the process.
MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa noticed, and he discussed the reasoning behind the 13-year veteran’s rebirth of sorts.
J.D. Martinez is off to a scorching start with the @Dodgers, ranking inside the league's Top 10 for HR, RBI, SLG% and OPS! ?#MLBCentral | @markdero7 | #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/30QGvWWl08
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 13, 2023
“He’s decided ‘I’m gonna get out in front, I’m gonna pull some baseballs.’ I used to watch Mark Teixiera do this a lot in Texas. Just get out and around the baseball, make sure he’s catching it out front and try to pull side homer it.”
Mark DeRosa on MLB Network
A 16-year MLB veteran in his own right, DeRosa explained that Martinez is putting less of an emphasis on hitting the other way — something he used to do prominently earlier in his career — in favor of trying to pull the ball to left field as part of a late career adjustment.
“I just think what he’s realized is, ‘I’m not driving the ball the other way in my mid-30’s the way I did as a younger player, or in Boston.'”
The numbers bare that out for Martinez, as he has a 1.164 slugging percentage on pulled balls this season, compared to a .469 number on balls hit to right.
That’s in stark contrast to his numbers from 2017-2019, when he slugged .931 on balls he pulled in comparison to .939 on balls hit the other way — all courtesy of MLB Network.
All of this has led to two significant things for Martinez.
He has the largest increase in hard-hit percentage — i.e. balls hit with an exit velocity of 95 MPH or greater — over the last two seasons in the majors, per MLB Network, with a 12.6 percent jump in 2023 compared to last season.
Also, he has the second highest slugging percentage in MLB at .619 behind only Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees.
All of this is confirmation that Martinez not only has flipped the switch in LA, but that he also has the staying power to keep putting up significant numbers if he stays with his current approach.
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