MLB Insider Believes New York Mets Should Target This Type of Slugger
Could a certain Boston Red Sox slugger be a fit in Queens this summer? One MLB insider seems to think so.
Joel Sherman of The New York Post said during his new podcast with fellow insider Jon Heyman on Tuesday that he thinks the Mets need a J.D. Martinez type hitter if he becomes available later in the season.
“The Mets have a singular home run hitter in (Pete) Alonso,” Sherman said on The New York Post's new baseball podcast The Show. “I think they need one more bat.”
Sherman added that he thinks Martinez, 34, could be shopped in the coming months.
Martinez is in his final year of a five-year pact he signed with the Red Sox prior to the 2018 season.
With Boston already 12 games out of first place in a hot division that’s anchored by the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, with the Toronto Blue Jays right behind them, the Red Sox have some veteran pieces they could turn into prospect capital as they retool for the future.
Martinez could give the Mets a big bopper to pair with Alonso in the middle of the order, something they’ve missed so far this season.
While Brandon Nimmo has been elite in all facets of the game, and Jeff McNeil has gotten back to vintage form, Alonso is really the only big home run threat in the team’s lineup, as Sherman remarked.
The Mets saw how valuable a player like Yoenis Cespedes was to add to the lineup when they traded for him at the trade deadline in 2015. Acquiring a power threat like Martinez could inject a similar type of life into the club.
Since signing with Boston, Martinez has been named to the All-Star Game every year - sans 2020 when COVID-19 shortened the season to 60 games and an All-Star Game didn’t happen.
So far in 2022, the slugger is hitting a robust .344/.383/.582, has a .402 wOBA and 167 wRC+ to go along with five homers, 20 RBIs and has been worth 1.1 fWAR.
While he has appeared primarily as a designated hitter, Martinez has also spent time in the left and right field so far this season. In 247 innings in left, Martinez has 2 defensive runs saved and a 2.4 ultimate zone range. The Mets like players with versatility, but have a need at DH. After releasing Robinson Cano, Dom Smith and J.D. Davis have platooned in this role, with Alonso seeing time there as well. Martinez would ultimately claim a Mets' DH spot that has been lacking consistent production beyond games where Alonso is in there.
The main knock on Martinez is that he strikes out a lot and he doesn’t draw a ton of walks. What he does bring to the table, however, is that he punishes the baseball and can change the complexion of the game with one swing of the bat.
His barrel rate ranks in the 95th percentile according to Baseball Savant, to go along with a strong xWOBA (95th percentile), xSLG (95th percentile) and hard hit percentage (71st percentile).
Whether it’s Martinez or another player, the Mets will likely have to explore bolstering their offense for the stretch run, but that one key move could be enough to help them separate themselves from the pack.
Read More:
- MLB Insider: New York Mets Have Scouted These Two Starting Pitchers
- Mets Sign Trevor Cahill, How They Could Address Pitching After Losing Max Scherzer
- Pete Alonso Crushes Monster Walk-Off Home Run To Lift Mets To Series Win
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