Red Sox Spring Training: Cora believes Martinez is invaluable in cleanup role
With the season just beginning for the Red Sox, Alex Cora already has high praise for his designated hitter. J.D. Martinez is a bat you want in your lineup and Cora knows right where he wants him.
The Red Sox batting order is just a murderers row from top to bottom and the biggest bat on the block belongs to DH J.D. Martinez. While speaking to media recently Alex Cora heaped great praise on the shoulders of his designated hitter. Chris Mason of the Eagle-Tribune reported on what Cora is laying out as the potential lineup come March.
Though there are some changes with the batting order one thing remains the same heading into the 2019 season, J.D. Martinez will be in the cleanup spot. Honestly, I think we can all say that this is the best spot for the power hitter and makes the most sense. There was no better feeling during a game in 2018 when there would be some ducks on the pond and Martinez would be walking to the plate.
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“I like when J.D. comes up with men on,” Cora explained. “When he hits fourth either he’s up in the first inning with men on or he’s actually leading the second inning with nobody on. It’s a more comfortable at-bat. Or a better at-bat for us instead of two outs and nobody on.”
Martinez led the majors in RBI and Total Bases in 2018 with 130/358 respectively. He’s a threat every time he stepped to the plate and opposing teams know that. It’s great to see that even with his changes going into 2019, Cora knows that if it’s not broken there’s no need to fix it. The Red Sox have a big task ahead of them in 2019 as there one of the few teams that have been quiet in the offseason.
A major key to even sniffing another World Series will be the top of the lineup getting on base so J.D. can knock in the runs. When it comes to batting, Martinez is in a class of his own. He may not always get a hit but the way he approaches the skill is untouchable. He’s like a mad scientist in a lab constantly studying his formulas and tweaking them when necessary.
This gives the Red Sox another pro in the decision column for Martinez to remain at the cleanup slot. If he isn’t performing to his standards, he’ll study the tape and get into the batting cage. The approach he takes to not only his at-bats but those of his fellow teammates has worked wonders for this lineup.
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So with the season now officially underway, it seems like the Red Sox will be relying on a formula that proved successful in 2018. Get on base and let big J.D. swing em in. Boston will need to put the pedal to the metal from Opening Day if they want to make another run at the World Series. A big factor to that will be getting J.D.’s bat hot from the getgo. With him batting cleanup, I don’t think scoring runs will be an issue in 2019.