The Mets manager Carlos Mendoza hinted on Tuesday that J.D. Martinez would receive his first taste of the NLCS on Wednesday when the series moves to Queens.
Mendoza stated, “There’s a good chance he’s in the lineup tomorrow,” at the Citi Field Mets workout. He is a valuable member of that lineup and this club as a professional batter. Therefore, his presence also improves us as a team—as I mentioned earlier.
Thus, he will undoubtedly be a vital member of the team in the future.Mendoza chose to start the opening two games of the series against the Dodgers with the trade deadline acquisition of Martinez, who has been sharing time in the postseason with lefty hitting Jesse Winker.
Martinez has performed admirably in his limited postseason action, recording four hits and three RBIs in 14 at-bats for the Mets, who return to Citi Field tied 1-1 with the Dodgers in the NLCS. Martinez batted a horrendous.109 over his last 16 regular-season games.
Martinez has shown himself to be a significant commodity to have in the lineup during the playoffs over his tenure with the Tigers, Diamondbacks, Red Sox, and Dodgers, going beyond just this year’s postseason run.
Over his career, he has slashed.293/.385/.556 in the postseason and hit 10 home runs in 39 games.Martinez, who played for the Dodgers the previous season, is claimed to have assisted in mentoring Mookie Betts and was referred to as a “hitting whisperer” by Dave Roberts,
Roberts stated on Tuesday, “Hopefully he’s not giving too many trade secrets, which I’m sure he is, how we think on the hitting side.” “He’s a genius at hitting.” He is a huge fan of the game. He’s totally fixated on hitting. He’s not the best base runner, but he enjoys hitting.
He also simply exudes respect. He has prevailed. He has a lot of likeability. He is considerate. That was undoubtedly a significant addition for the Mets. And I have no doubt that he has assisted in several ways that people are simply unaware of.
Martinez inked a one-year, $12 million contract with the Mets in March. Mendoza referred to Martinez’s mentality inside the clubhouse as a “privilege” on Wednesday.
As a team, J.D. has been invaluable, Mendoza stated. “Excellent guy in that clubhouse—not just for the offensive end, but also for his experience, perspective on the game, and preparation—and a unique guy.”
