Boston Red Sox: Five bold predictions for 2021 season
By Sean Penney
Red Sox DH J.D. Martinez earns a Sliver Slugger
The unprecedented circumstances caused by the pandemic were difficult for many players to adapt to. Putting training camp on pause for several months before rushing through an abbreviated camp in July left many players unprepared but no hitter in baseball struggled with the changes more than J.D. Martinez.
Martinez was also very vocal about his frustration with MLB’s social distancing rules preventing him from having access to review video of his plate appearances during games. He wasn’t able to make the adjustments he was accustomed to and the changes in his routine showed in how uncomfortable he appeared at the plate.
The result was a career-low .213 batting average and a .680 OPS that had fallen over 250 points from the previous year. He was incapable of hitting fastballs, a pitch he’s historically crushed. Martinez’s timing was off and he struggled to fix it during a short season that drastically altered his routine.
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The 33-year-old might be nearing the end of his prime but it’s unlikely he’s at the point where he has fallen off a cliff due to age. His decline appears more mechanical and that can be fixed.
Martinez last won a Silver Slugger in 2018 while Nelson Cruz has taken home the hardware in three of the last four years at the DH position. There aren’t many full-time DH’s in the league that can compare to those two when they are at the top of their game. If there was any concern about age-related decline for Martinez, why wouldn’t there be for the 40-year-old Cruz?
Expect Martinez to get back on track this year and give Cruz strong competition for the trophy handed to the league’s best DH.