J.D. Martinez Gives Reasoning Behind Not Joining Giants

Slugger J.D. Martinez of the New York Mets is not a fan of Oracle Park in San Francisco.

J.D. Martinez Gives Reasoning Behind Not Joining Giants

During his opening news conference on Saturday, Martinez—who signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Mets—was questioned about why he declined a rumored $15 million offer from the San Francisco Giants earlier in the summer.

Then, Bob Nightengale of USA Today revealed it was absolutely untrue. Instead, Nighengale learned that Martinez desired a second year and had turned down the Giants’ $15 million offer. The only one who was aware of the reality was Martinez.

“It’s not the best hitter-friendly park for me,” Martinez told reporters of Oracle Park.

He added: “If I go there and I hit .260 with 20 [home runs], people are going to say that I’m old and I’m washed up and I’m kind of done, and [I’ll] find myself out of the game. I wanted to give myself the best opportunity.”

Martinez is most recognized for his bat; he is a six-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger.

The 36-year-old bounced back as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023 after having a difficult 2022 season with the Boston Red Sox in terms of power, hitting.271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs and 103 RBI in 113 games.

According to Baseball Reference, Martinez hit.208/.240/.458 in six games at Oracle Park last season with just one home run and three RBI. Only three of his 21 career home runs have come in San Francisco.

In three games played at Citi Field in New York last season, Martinez’s overall stats were better, hitting.308/.357/.539. Though three games is a tiny sample size to judge his home run total, he also hit one.

His worries regarding the ballpark are therefore even more legitimate. Martinez gave off the impression that he wanted to play more. To achieve that, he needs to demonstrate that he still has the bat to make an impact. Finding a location where he can function at his usual level is necessary for that, and San Francisco was not going to be that location.

How many times has JD Martinez been an All Star?

He had a 134 OPS+, 33 home runs, and 103 RBI while hitting.271/.321/.572. Baseball Reference calculated that his efforts were worth an estimated 1.9 Wins Above Replacement. Six-time All-Star, he obviously wants to play longer than this current season.

Will JD Martinez be a Hall of Famer?

As of right now, J. D. Martinez is, at most, a distant contender for the Hall of Fame after the 2022 season. He is undoubtedly a decent player, but not much in his career points to him being a particularly outstanding one.

Did J.D. Martinez win MVP?

After topping the South Atlantic League in batting (.362) and on-base percentage (.433), he was named the MVP of the league.

 

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