The JD Martinez Performance Thread

[YastrzemskI]

I know he has been out with back spasms a few times this year, but he just doesn't seem like himself

so far. By that I mean that he is just swinging at pitches out of the strike zone on a consistent

basis. Something we haven't seen much of last season. My guess is that he is just struggling with a

bad back. Normally I would say give the guy some days off but it's tough when this team is struggling to keep

pace in the standings. An .880 OPS thru 70 games.

[TylerD]

He's been dog s*** to chalk it up nicely. I think it's a slump and he will get out of it... Or it's rust. Not sure which, but our stars have no performed and he is a big one that has been a let down. I honestly think we would be first by a mile if this offense was anything like it was from last year even with the dreadful start our starting rotation had.

[jacksonianmarch]

Playing injured is no fun. It also shows you where who cannot go to quickly. When your back hurts, reaching is tough, so he is overcompensating for the outside pitch and is chasing outside the zone

[Slasher9]

He’s playing the field. No way he is hurt.

[devildavid]

He’s playing the field. No way he is hurt.

 

No way is he 100% physically. His back problems are the cause of his performance issues. He was cruising along great until his back acted up.

[Slasher9]

No way is he 100% physically. His back problems are the cause of his performance issues. He was cruising along great until his back acted up.

 

I think it’s his brain. If there was still a back issue no way he is playing defense

[devildavid]

I think it’s his brain. If there was still a back issue no way he is playing defense

 

If he's worried about aggravating his back, it could effect his hitting. I don't think his playing the field means that his back issues have disappeared.

[YastrzemskI]

He’s playing the field. No way he is hurt.

 

He does not extend himself in the field at all.. unless you would call jogging extending yourself. He’s a serviceable left fielder. But he does look like he’s playing through some pain at the plate.

[YastrzemskI]

If he's worried about aggravating his back, it could effect his hitting. I don't think his playing the field means that his back issues have disappeared.

 

Agreed.

[Jason33]

I know he has been out with back spasms a few times this year, but he just doesn't seem like himself

so far. By that I mean that he is just swinging at pitches out of the strike zone on a consistent

basis. Something we haven't seen much of last season. My guess is that he is just struggling with a

bad back. Normally I would say give the guy some days off but it's tough when this team is struggling to keep

pace in the standings. An .880 OPS thru 70 games.

 

You’re right he has been pretty bad compared to what he did last year. He went 0-8 the other night with I think 5 strikeouts. He’s not hitting with as much power and he’s not driving in the runs he was driving in last year. Same thing for Mookie. Although Mookie seems to be hitting better of late. Also Benny is not hitting for any power whatsoever. Bogaerts is having a decent season and so is Devers. If we can get JD, Betts, and Benny going well be a tough team to beat.

[Oscars]

His drop off in performance hurts most in RBIs.

He has 42 RBIs at the halfway stage so he is on pace for 84.

He had 130 RBIs last season so he is 35% worse to this point.

[Bellhorn04]

He's going through a rough patch. The back might be affecting him.

 

But an .880 OPS is not dogshit.

[OH FOY]

I remember after Trade from Detroit, he had a unreal 2nd half, 2 years ago. He's capable of going on a very good tear, for a long period. Maybe some rest will do him good at AS Break. London trip will give him some rest too, except for the flight.

There is nothing worse then a Back. Nothing. If he's playing through that pain, I would cut him some slack.

Edited June 26, 2019 by OH FOY!

[OH FOY]

JD is noted to go to Right Field, including his Power, he's not doing it this year. Looks to me like he's compensating for something. He's more pull happy this year, that's not his swing.

[redsoxrules]

I'm not concerned about JD. He will finish the year with an ops above 900. The rbi stat is misleading as he is not hitting with men on base as much as he did last year

[S5Dewey]

JD is noted to go to Right Field, including his Power, he's not doing it this year. Looks to me like he's compensating for something. He's more pull happy this year, that's not his swing.

 

That was my observation too, and why I think it's his back. The power to go opp comes from the back and if it's painful for him to go that way his body isn't going to want him to do it.

[S5Dewey]

I'm not concerned about JD. He will finish the year with an ops above 900. The rbi stat is misleading as he is not hitting with men on base as much as he did last year

 

 

In 2018 the Sox hit .264/.790 (BA/OPS)

In 2019 the sox are hitting .268/.792

 

In 2018 the Sox scored 876 runs. We're now half way through the season, which interpolates to 438 runs per half season.

In 2019 the Sox have scored 435 runs.

Our offense is essentially the same

 

In 2018 the Sox committed 77 errors (38.5 per half season)

in 2019 the Sox have committed 45 errors.

 

In 2018 the Sox pitching staff had numbers of .375/1.25 (ERA/WHIP)

In 2019 the Sox pitching staff has numbers of .425/1.29.

 

The Sox are scoring runs at the same pace to collect 108 wins and yet halfway through the season we only have 44 W's.

 

We have a poster here who keeps saying that Pitching + Defense = Parades. 'Nuf said.

[Kimmi]

I think it’s his brain. If there was still a back issue no way he is playing defense

 

I would agree with this. Especially in the wet conditions that they played in last night.

 

FWIW, Cora insists that JD's back is not the issue.

[TylerD]

I would agree with this. Especially in the wet conditions that they played in last night.

 

FWIW, Cora insists that JD's back is not the issue.

 

I think Cora is right. When looking at Martinez he doesn't show any back issues at all and my dad watches some games with me. He has a lot of knowledge with the back as he has had 2 surgeries on his back and has studied a ton on back injuries and long term impact it has on the body. Even he says he doesn't see anything showing that Martinez is still hurt from his back. I think it's just in his head right now and a slump. He will hopefully climb out of it.....

[Jason33]

If his back is bothering him then he needs to sit for a couple more games. I know we need him but it’s better to have a good healthy JD than a injured average JD.

[vegasbob]

Although the back can be a factor, what is much more concerning is the chasing of the low away sliders . You would think if the back really hurt, he would be more reluctant to swing, and not chase. Plus the "book" on pitching him breaking balls , low and away has been so obvious the last month, combined with inside bat shattering jam shots that have eaten him up. Maybe he is expecting to reach for the outside corner, and getting pitched inside when he starts to lean in. Anyway, the result is very frustating when you know that JD is capable of hitting some all-time rockets with jung's slick ball.

[jung]

Although the back can be a factor, what is much more concerning is the chasing of the low away sliders . You would think if the back really hurt, he would be more reluctant to swing, and not chase. Plus the "book" on pitching him breaking balls , low and away has been so obvious the last month, combined with inside bat shattering jam shots that have eaten him up. Maybe he is expecting to reach for the outside corner, and getting pitched inside when he starts to lean in. Anyway, the result is very frustating when you know that JD is capable of hitting some all-time rockets with jung's slick ball.

 

I think JD has gotten himself into a rut. In general, what passes for ML pitching these days is not very inspiring. While many want to claim its all about the cost of starting pitching and that is what started the whole trend toward fewer complete games and less innings from starters and the army of relief pitchers in the pen I think that crowd has the chicken ahead of the egg. The pitching is simply not as good which turned coaches and managers to this whole "give me all you can for as long as you can give it to me" methodology which is virtually the same thing as saying "I know you guys really do in fact suck....just give me what you got and when you are a spent load, I will stitch it together from there". Heck average innings per start this year is probably going to slip below 6 innings ACROSS MLB inclusive of the big bucks fat cat pitchers in MLB.

 

So now we pay millions of dollars for what is in fact starting pitching suckage and so called "Quality Starts" and it all flows downhill from there. Here comes the army of relief pitchers in the pen, paying big bucks for Closers (or not) and a short bench which really does make it difficult to play the pro game as intended.

 

But as it relates to hitters like JD and Mookie and on and on and on, they all got used to just waiting for the pitcher to toss a pile of crap pitch up to the plate for them to bash. For Mookie, its an inner half FB that he uses his hands and wrists and a compact swing to knock over the LF wall. For JD, its a crap Slider or Curve or even weak cheese thrown just farther out over the plate and a little lower than Mookie's optimal pitch which JD takes to the RF bullpen with power.

 

What happened this year is that they are not getting those pitches. Pitchers are not giving up as much weak cheese over the middle of the plate and are instead just spinning hook after hook up to the plate low and away, low and inside, finishing either a foot off the plate or even barely making it to the plate, and they can't hit it. They can't hit it and they can't lay off of it. Its worse for them than high heat they can't reach. Though high heat is the pitch they get when they are caught focusing on all those hooks low that don't even finish in the zone and then they fall victim to the high heat as well. AND THEN HERE COMES THE CHANGE UP.

 

This is also the distinguishing feature of MLB baseball that has STILL not changed no matter all of MLB's efforts to manipulate this game. You still get pitchers that can make you look silly because no hitter ever owned the whole plate. Never happened other than with true punch and judy hitters and LORD KNOWS nobody wants to be one of those these days. No hitter with power ever owned the whole plate on every pitch.

 

I even wonder if hitters have lost the ability to see the spinning seams of the baseball from the pitchers hand......or along with all the other changes brought on by the rocket ship super slick baseball, is it just flat impossible for them to pick up the spin from the pitcher's hand. That has always had to be a nanosecond ability on the part of the hitter. Picking up the spin has to be almost instantaneous or its too late. In fact that sort of unreal, other worldly hand to eye coordination is what knocked so many of us out of baseball as those players with true talent, REAL HITTING TALENT just went right past us.

 

So yes, this version of the ML hitter can knock the ball a mile because all you have to do is touch this thing with the barrel of the bat, ANY PART of the barrel and this baby is gone! One handed swings....gone, all your weight forward, swing already spent.... gone. Both together....still gone and to the deepest part of these parks no less. But the response from pitchers, a response that came far faster than I thought it would come was to throw more spinning hooks of all varieties than I ever thought I would see and the hitters either can't see them or can and simply can't lay off them and can't hit them either.

 

X can, Vaz can, Devers can, Holt can, Nunny can. Notice that I am claiming their ability in lesser degrees from X through Nunny. Then there is Chavis who can only hit a bender thrown right over the middle of the plate. Devers and Holt have an advantage because they will never face as many same handed pitchers as any RH hitter in this league is going to face and the breaking stuff is more effective against the same handed hitter.

 

When one of these guys start throwing an ole' timey screwball again instead of a two seam I am going to laugh my ass off and stick another pin in my Manfred voodoo doll.

Edited June 27, 2019 by jung

[Bellhorn04]

The overstatement in this thread is hilarious. If you didn't look at the actual numbers you'd think JD was in a flailing slump for weeks.

 

If you do look at the numbers you see this:

 

April OPS 895

May OPS 884

June OPS 896

 

Not the otherworldly numbers of last year, but solid and consistent at least.

[notin]

The overstatement in this thread is hilarious. If you didn't look at the actual numbers you'd think JD was in a flailing slump for weeks.

 

If you do look at the numbers you see this:

 

April OPS 895

May OPS 884

June OPS 896

 

Not the otherworldly numbers of last year, but solid and consistent at least.

 

 

I dunno. That May looks pretty slumpy....

[jung]

The overstatement in this thread is hilarious. If you didn't look at the actual numbers you'd think JD was in a flailing slump for weeks.

 

If you do look at the numbers you see this:

 

April OPS 895

May OPS 884

June OPS 896

 

Not the otherworldly numbers of last year, but solid and consistent at least.

 

JD's batting average is off 43 points at .287 from .330 in 2018 and his OPS is off 147 points. So how is that contrary to a guy who is not hitting with the frequency that he was in 2018 but given the latest rocket ship baseball is just hitting it farther when he does hit it?

 

JD is not doing badly. But the recent trend is not terribly inspiring. JD will probably be fine in the overall....probably in better shape than Mookie and definitely in better shape than Bozo Manfred.

Edited June 28, 2019 by jung

[Bellhorn04]

I dunno. That May looks pretty slumpy....

 

Well played.

[Bellhorn04]

JD's batting average is off 43 points at .287 from .330 in 2018 and his OPS is off 147 points. So how is that contrary to a guy who is not hitting with the frequency that he was in 2018 but given the latest rocket ship baseball is just hitting it farther when he does hit it?

 

2018 was his career year, I would say. He is now just slightly past prime and he probably does have a nagging back issue. A .950 OPS was a realistic projection for him. He's not far off that.

[vegasbob]

The overstatement in this thread is hilarious. If you didn't look at the actual numbers you'd think JD was in a flailing slump for weeks.

 

If you do look at the numbers you see this:

 

April OPS 895

May OPS 884

June OPS 896

 

Not the otherworldly numbers of last year, but solid and consistent at least.

 

No argument that the premium pay DH on a high performing team is overall posting numbers that would be the envy of a lot of players. But if you want to look at numbers , just try the last 24 games/ 105 AB's +10 walks.

JDM's BA in those 24 games is .257/ OPS .836. OBP .322. His 14 rbi's are equal to JBJr's and Beni, exceeding Brock Holt by 1 and 33% behind Bogaert's 21. His K rate is over 27%. His 6 hr's (tied with Bogie)during the period are keeping the OPS up .

 

The point is not to run down JDM who delivered incredibly last year, maybe setting the bar too high . It is to acknowledge what is visible to the eye. This hitman is not performing as well as his capabilities. Is it a slump or physical problem or whatever. But this team needs more than Bogey in the 1-4 slots to be playing to at least their career averages . Of course, if you want to see Mookie Betts last 132 PA's, you get a .209/.768 with 11 rbi's. His OBP is at .341 due to 22 walks among the 132 PA . By comparison , in the same period, Beni is smoking and glad for him.

 

I think many of us appreciate the in depth work and analysis that many of the advanced stats bring, but you know as well as I do that by selecting certain periods in a streaky game, you can support a lot of inferences. My inference is that JDM and certainly Betts are in slumps over about a month that are impacting the team's results.

[jung]

2018 was his career year, I would say. He is now just slightly past prime and he probably does have a nagging back issue. A .950 OPS was a realistic projection for him. He's not far off that.

 

Not sure about the nagging back. That would suggest he not be sent out to the OF AGAIN where he looks like an aging gazelle trying to avoid the fangs and teeth of an onrushing cougar. Yet he was sent out there so....so.....so Beni could get some rest???? Something does not compute. If JD's back was still cranky I would have suggested sending Beni out there if he had to crawl out there.

Edited June 28, 2019 by jung

[Bellhorn04]

No argument that the premium pay DH on a high performing team is overall posting numbers that would be the envy of a lot of players. But if you want to look at numbers , just try the last 24 games/ 105 AB's +10 walks.

JDM's BA in those 24 games is .257/ OPS .836. OBP .322. His 14 rbi's are equal to JBJr's and Beni, exceeding Brock Holt by 1 and 33% behind Bogaert's 21. His K rate is over 27%. His 6 hr's (tied with Bogie)during the period are keeping the OPS up .

 

The point is not to run down JDM who delivered incredibly last year, maybe setting the bar too high . It is to acknowledge what is visible to the eye. This hitman is not performing as well as his capabilities. Is it a slump or physical problem or whatever. But this team needs more than Bogey in the 1-4 slots to be playing to at least their career averages . Of course, if you want to see Mookie Betts last 132 PA's, you get a .209/.768 with 11 rbi's. His OBP is at .341 due to 22 walks among the 132 PA . By comparison , in the same period, Beni is smoking and glad for him.

 

I think many of us appreciate the in depth work and analysis that many of the advanced stats bring, but you know as well as I do that by selecting certain periods in a streaky game, you can support a lot of inferences. My inference is that JDM and certainly Betts are in slumps over about a month that are impacting the team's results.

 

JD's OPS is .892

 

His career OPS is .887

 

He's 31, nearly 32.

 

Expectations probably were raised to an unrealistic level last year. (Sounds like something Harmony would say, I know.)

 

In a way this is good because it reduces the chances of him opting out.