J.D. Martinez should help the Mets, but he's no savior
Mets hope J.D. Martinez, who will bat fifth, can protect Pete Alonso. Credit: AP/Ashley Landis
J.D. Martinez is a perennial All-Star, regarded as a hitting savant happy to share knowledge with teammates, and the most prolific slugger the Mets have brought in from outside the organization since at least Yoenis Cespedes nearly a decade ago.
He also is 36 years old, dealing with periodic back problems and just one guy.
So as he joins the Mets on Friday, when they host the Cardinals to open a seven-game homestand, keep expectations in check. He should be an upgrade, but he probably won’t be a savior. He is masterly, not magical.
“He’s a great hitter, so I’m very optimistic and hopeful that he’s going to come in and help our offense,” hitting coach Jeremy Barnes said. “Is he going to save our team and put us in the World Series?”
He offered a knowing shrug.
“We’ll see,” Barnes continued. “I don’t think we can predict anything like that. He has an awesome process. He has an amazing track record. Throwing that in there is only going to help.”
Martinez’s track record is, indeed, excellent. From 2015-23 (excepting the pandemic-shortened 2020) he averaged 33 homers and 97 RBIs per year — and that includes a couple of down seasons.
Consider, though, that Martinez will be getting the DH at-bats that manager Carlos Mendoza has spread around to significant success. DJ Stewart (.816 OPS) has played a bunch, but the Mets also have used that spot to give defensive breaks to the likes of Starling Marte, Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Alvarez — and that has worked out great. The outfielders half-resting made room for the red-hot Tyrone Taylor, too.
The Mets’ DH production entering play Thursday: .848 OPS (fifth in the majors) with a .243 average, plus four homers and 15 RBIs — about in line for that 30/100 pace.
That is a bit better than what the offense as a whole has done, ranking in the top half in a bunch of key categories.
As they waited for Martinez, the Mets were fine at the plate overall and actually quite solid at DH. Martinez should be better, but it’s not as if it was a black hole without him.
“(The temporary DH-by-committee arrangement) worked out really well,” Nimmo said. “It kind of held down the fort, gave some guys some time off their feet. But obviously J.D. is going to occupy that a lot. We’re more than happy to have him and can’t wait to see what he brings to this offense.”
Martinez will bat behind Pete Alonso, likely fifth, which will give the Mets a heck of a top five when everyone is rolling: Nimmo, Marte, Francisco Lindor, Alonso, Martinez.
But, again, that is only when they’re going good. At times in recent weeks, that simply was not the case.
Maybe Lindor’s four-hit, two-homer game Wednesday is a sign that he is about to break out for real. The Mets need more from Nimmo and McNeil. Brett Baty has been quiet since tweaking his hamstring a week and a half ago. Alvarez is out until mid-June.
“We’re not close to where we want to be and where we should be,” Lindor said.
Any wisdom whispered by Martinez is welcome.
“I hope he gives me all his powers,” Lindor said. “I hope he gives me everything. I need it and I want it. So I’m excited to have him in the clubhouse and to share the same lineup.”
The Mets speak highly of Martinez’s reputation as a de facto extra hitting coach, with Lindor noting that “I’ve heard that he’s a freak” with his depth of knowledge of pitchers and thoroughness in his preparation. They expect to benefit via baseball osmosis.
Martinez’s arrival will come with that and other benefits. But it will be up to the Mets who surround him to make it amount to anything.
“We’ll let J.D. be J.D.,” Nimmo said, “and watch and see what he does.”
Barnes said: “I just want him to come in and be him.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
