3 former NY Mets players could be the cure for what ails the Yankees

3) J.D. Martinez

The Mets signed J.D. Martinez to a one-year contract after a huge rebound season with the LA Dodgers in 2023. During that season, the veteran slugger batted .271/.321/.572 with a .369 wOBA and 135 wRC+. Martinez provided a ton of pop, going yard 35 times in just 479 plate appearances. His .301 ISO made him one of four batters above .300 in 400+ plate appearances. On the downside, he had a 7.1% walk rate and a career-worst 31.1% K%.

However, Martinez fell well short of that level of production in 2024 with the Mets. He turned in just a .235/.320/.406 triple-slash, .318 wOBA, and 108 wRC+. After hitting nearly 40 homers in less than 500 plate appearances, Martinez went yard just 16 times in 495 trips to the plate, resulting in a .171 ISO. Martinez drew walks more frequently with a 9.9% BB% but still struck out at a poor 28.5% rate.

While Martinez’s 2024 was not good, he still had some good peripherals under the hood. He was above the 85th percentile of both xwOBA (.351) and xSLG% (.472). His 14.9% barrel rate was the 14th best across all of baseball, surpassing the likes of Fernando Tatis Jr., Yordan Alvarez, Bobby Witt Jr., and Vlad Guerrero Jr., along with the Mets’ own Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, and Mark Vientos.

The Yankees have even reportedly reached out to Martinez. However, while he is a decent rebound candidate for a team in need of help at designated hitter, the 37-year-old has not ruled out retirement. If his recent activity is a sign of anything, it’s that he’s leaning toward hanging up the cleats and instead picking up a pickleball racket. He recently signed a deal with JOOLA, a company that produces pickleball and table tennis equipment. But a fair contract and a promise of regular playing time might be enough for JDM to put his foray into pickleball on hold for now.