Los Angeles Dodgers veteran designated hitter J.D. Martinez, 35, had a perfect resurgence, hitting 20 home runs before the first half was over.
Martinez went 1-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, two runs scored, and a walk while starting in the No. 5 spot in the lineup against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 6 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA. Behind Martinez’s performance, the Dodgers won 6-4 to avenge a loss the day before.
After falling behind 0-4 on a solo shot in the first inning and a three-run homer in the fourth, the Dodgers rallied in the bottom of the fourth on a Jason Heyward sacrifice fly, a Miguel Rojas RBI single and a Martinez three-run shot in the bottom of the fifth. Freddy Peralta followed with a back-to-back homer to make it a two-run game, and the bullpen held on for the win despite some shaky pitching.
Most notably, Martinez hit the game-winning home run. Martinez is a veteran hitter who played for the Boston Red Sox until last year. He started out as an outfielder, but due to his poor defense, he’s practically a full-time designated hitter. However, he can hit for power. In 2017, just before he hit free agency, he played for the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks, hitting .303 with a 1.066 OPS (on-base percentage), 45 home runs, and 104 RBIs.
He then signed a five-year, $110 million contract with Boston, where he spearheaded the Red Sox to an American League East title and a World Series championship in his first year. In his five years in Boston, he hit .292 OPS with 130 homers and 423 RBIs, but last year, just before he hit free agency, he hit just .274 OPS with 16 homers and 62 RBIs. His age, in his mid-30s, has also led to talk of aging. 안전놀이터추천
Martinez’s desire to reassert his value and the Dodgers’ need for a short-term designated hitter matched. They could have exercised the team option on Justin Turner, who led the team in batting for nine years after joining the team in 2014, and kept him through 2022, but they chose Martinez instead, and Boston lost him to Turner.
Turner hasn’t been bad. He’s hitting .282 with a .815 OPS, 13 home runs, and 49 RBIs, making you forget he’s three years older than Martinez. However, Martinez’s numbers are a notch higher. The first half isn’t even over and he’s already hitting .251 with a .849 OPS and 59 RBIs, including 20 home runs.
The fact that he’s on a one-year deal also makes the Dodgers happy. Turner signed with Boston for two years and $22 million with a player option after this season. Unlike Turner, Martinez, at one year and $10 million, will be gone next year, leaving the club with less risk of aging out. A clean break with Martinez might be more palatable if the Angels are in the running for Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels).
In the meantime, Martinez will be the National League’s starting designated hitter in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game on June 12 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. The Dodgers have designated Martinez for assignment to the