Boston Red Sox stars will factor heavily in the AL MVP race

J.D. Martinez

Martinez was worth every cent that the Red Sox spent on him last winter. He was brought to Boston to solve the team’s power deficiency and he did exactly that, blasting 43 home runs to rank second in the league. That total gives him the most home runs ever by a player in their first season with the Red Sox. Martinez also had the most home runs by any Red Sox hitter since David Ortiz set the franchise record with 54 in 2006.

Martinez proved to be an elite run producer with a major league-leading 130 RBI. The home runs clearly helped boost that total but Martinez had a knack for getting clutch hits. He batted .386 with runners in scoring position and .422 with RISP and two outs.

The power numbers obviously stand out but Martinez is more than just a slugger. He hits for average as well, batting .330 to finish second in the batting title race. He joins Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams as the only Red Sox hitters to hit at least .330 with 40+ home runs and 130+ RBI in a season.

We were on Triple Crown watch with Martinez within striking distance of the league lead in average, homers and RBI deep into September. Had he finished at the top in those three categories it would have set up a similar scenario to what we saw in 2012 when Miguel Cabrera was handed the MVP award because he was the first Triple Crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.

The Triple Crown would not have been enough to push Martinez to the top of my list. Just as Mike Trout was the better all-around candidate in 2012, there are others who are more worthy this year. We have so many ways to evaluate production these days. It’s foolish to vote for a player based on three arbitrary categories while ignoring the other data. The Triple Crown remains a special achievement due to how uncommon it is but it shouldn’t lock the player in for MVP honors.

Martinez was the league’s best hitter this year but not the most valuable player. He was primarily a designated hitter and below-average when he did play the outfield. Martinez was also one of the league’s worst base runners with -4.2 BsR.

He merits consideration for his outstanding production at the plate but the five-tool players ahead of him on this list put up stellar numbers with a bat in their hands while also providing value in other areas of the game.