All J.D. Martinez has done is produce since joining Arizona Diamondbacks
By Joseph Jacquez
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder J.D. Martinez is producing at an unbelievable rate
What J.D. Martinez has done since becoming a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks is nothing short of remarkable.
Four home runs in one game at Dodger Stadium clinched general manager Mike Hazen’s acquisition of #JustDingers as the best mid-season acquisition in team history and the best trade deadline acquisition of 2017.
But, Martinez did not stop with that performance. In fact, he just got even better. For the week ending on Sept. 10, he hit .429 with seven home runs, 11 RBI, eight runs scored and 12 hits in six games.
For his efforts, Martinez was named the National League Player of the Week on Monday. It is the 30-year-old right fielder’s third player of the week honor this season. He collected American League Player of the Week honors twice with the Detroit Tigers. With this latest honor, he became the only player in the majors with three weekly honors in 2017.
Some Highlights
Martinez started his week Monday with the four home run game against the Dodgers. Here are some incredible notes from that night:
- He became the first player in the modern era to homer in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings of the same game.
- Additionally, Martinez became the first player to log three homers in a game in the seventh inning-or-later since Philadelphia Phillies’ hall of famer Mike Schmidt in 1976.
- That night, Martinez also became the first player in MLB history to notch more home runs in one game than the opposing team’s number of hits (3).
- On Saturday, Martinez tied his career high with his second four-hit game of the week.
- Then on Sunday, Martinez recorded multi-homer game number six and his fourth since joining the Diamondbacks
Martinez made his Diamondbacks debut on July 19, and since then all he has done is produce.
In 45 games played entering Monday, Martinez was hitting .269 with a .342 on-base percentage, 32 runs scored, 45 hits, including seven doubles, 21 home runs and 58 RBI.
Martinez drew a walk, stole a base and had an RBI single in Monday’s loss to Colorado.
His consistency is simply unreal.
Lengthening the lineup
Not only has Martinez produced for himself, his acquisition has made an already potent D-backs’ lineup that much stronger.
With Martinez in the fold, manager Torey Lovullo has hit him fifth and Paul Goldschmidt has cleaned up. In 40 games with Goldschmidt batting fourth and Martinez fifth, Goldy is hitting .317 with 11 doubles, 13 home runs and 37 RBI.
Before Martinez’s arrival, Goldschmidt did not get very many pitches to hit. But Martinez has provided plenty of protection.
Among all major league players with at least 150 plate appearances since July 19, Martinez’s first game with the Arizona Diamondbacks, he is second in home runs (21) and slugging percentage (.701), fourth in RBI (45) and fifth in OPS (1.043).
Goldy and Martinez have homered in the same game five times. They have become quite the dynamic duo, rivaling Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies.
Helping against lefties
Martinez is hitting .400 with 10 home runs and 22 RBI against left handed pitchers this season.
The Diamondbacks are hitting just .239 this season against southpaws, but Martinez’s production has helped.
Fans are calling for the Arizona Diamondbacks to resign Martinez in the offseason, but one report has already declared him the Boston Red Sox top free-agent target.
Whether or not the D-backs can resign Martinez is up in the air. For now, enjoy the ride.
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