J.D. Martinez is moving down the depth chart
Just 3 for 44 in September, Mets DH J.D. Martinez is not playing nearly as much anymore. He didn’t start on Saturday or Sunday for the Mets. A pinch hit strikeout was all he came away with.
The “dad power” we had hoped he’d return to the lineup with after the birth of his daughter has been missing. His September slump and the birth of his daughter are likely unrelated. This is a 37-year-old who has dealt with injuries in past seasons and may indeed be headed into retirement after this year.
Martinez has struggled for quite some time. He batted .235/.326/.358 in July. The numbers trickled down to .217/.294/.435 in August. This month, he’s at .068/.180/.091.
Because they now have Jesse Winker on the roster to be the DH against right-handed pitchers, Martinez appears to have become a platoon DH from the right side. The rise of players like Taylor and healthiness of Starling Marte give the Mets more reason to sit Martinez on a more regular basis.
Martinez was a big reason why the team was able to pull themselves out of the early muck they created. Unfortunately, he has been completely lost at the plate throughout the second half. He has struck out in just under 30% of his plate appearances. Only a couple of clutch hits in August have helped his numbers from looking more disastrous.