J.D. Martinez makes Red Sox history despite struggle-filled season

Red Sox DH JD Martinez isn’t hitting home runs this year, but he’s still racking up doubles

JD Martinez isn’t the feared home run slugger he once was but the veteran Boston Red Sox designated hitter is still capable of piling up extra-base hits.

After mashing a respectable 28 home runs last year, Martinez has only racked up 11 round-trippers this season; to call that a drastic dip in production doesn’t feel strong enough. Excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Martinez hasn’t hit fewer than 22 homers since emerging as a star with the Detroit Tigers. His .423 slugging percentage and .151 ISO are both by far his lowest since 2013 when he was a struggling part-time player with the Houston Astros.

The home-run total is severely diminished, but it hasn’t been a complete power outage for Martinez. He collected a pair of doubles in Sunday’s rout of the Kansas City Royals to reach 40 for the season.

Martinez doubled to deep center and scored a run during a third-inning rally in which the Red Sox claimed the lead. He added another double to center to lead off a sixth inning that saw Boston pile on four more runs.

According to J.P. Long of Sox Notes, Martinez is the only player in Red Sox history to hit 40+ doubles in consecutive seasons at the age of 33 or older.

Martinez, who turned 35 years old last month, led the league with 42 doubles last season. His 40th double of this season moved him into sole possession of third place in the American League behind Cleveland’s José Ramirez (42) and Toronto’s Bo Bichette (41). With a couple of weeks remaining in the regular season, Martinez could conceivably top last year’s total and claim the league lead for the second consecutive season. His 82 doubles are the most in the majors since the start of the 2021 season and he leads the majors with 98 doubles since 2020.

Fenway Park’s towering green wall in left field is an inviting target for doubles. The Red Sox currently lead the majors by a comfortable margin with 329 doubles, per FanGraphs. Boston typically sits at or near the top in this category. While a star-studded lineup certainly helps, their hitter-friendly home environment gives Red Sox hitters a boost in this department.

While playing half his games at Fenway has given Martinez an advantage, his franchise record for a player his age remains impressive. For context, David Ortiz ended his career with a monster season in 2016 at the age of 40 when he led the league with 48 doubles. That was the first time he had reached 40 doubles since 2011. Carl Yastrzemski had three 40+ double seasons but all of them were recorded by his age-25 season. Even the great Ted Williams never reached 40 doubles after turning 30 years old. Those Hall of Famers all benefited from the same ballpark but none of them piled up doubles at the rate Martinez has at this age.

Home runs remain the most effective way to drive in runs but a lineup can do plenty of damage with doubles. Boston ranks 22nd in the majors in home runs this season but they are ninth in runs scored. They make up for the lack of the long ball by putting dents in the left field wall when they play at Fenway. Martinez is third in the AL in doubles but teammates Rafael Devers (39) and Xander Bogaerts (38) are right behind him. Bogaerts already has more two-baggers than last year and is only five away from breaking Carl Yastrzemski’s franchise record for career doubles before turning 30.

The Red Sox pounded the Royals for 13 runs in their latest victory without the benefit of a single home run. Boston’s bats strung together 20 hits in that game, including nine doubles from eight different players.

Martinez is having a down season by his lofty standards, perhaps a sign he’s slowing down with age (he just turned 35). However, his penchant for hitting doubles shows he’s still capable of being a productive force in the middle of the lineup.