San Francisco Giants’ Case For J.D. Martinez

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Sep 15, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez (28) hits a single in the sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Since Barry Bonds’ departure, the San Francisco Giants have failed to fill their power void in left field. J.D. Martinez would easily fill that void with his bat, and provide a huge offensive upgrade for the Giants at least one season for a number of reasons.

Aside from his 2016 total of .307 average with 22 HRs and 68 RBIs, he posted an OBP of .373, a .535 SLG, and an OPS of .908.

J.D. Martinez’ bat may not be enough to overcome his problems defensively as the San Francisco Giants evaluate his value for a trade.

All of those offensive categories would have led the Giants, except for OBP and RBIs. This would easily make him the biggest power threat in a lineup truly lacking one. As mentioned earlier, his three-year stat line of .299 average, 83 HRs and 246 RBIs would certainly be welcomed into the middle of the Giants’ lineup.

Martinez’ splits are almost identical when facing lefties or righties. He hit .306 against 132 lefties faced, and .307 against 385 righties faced.

His production in pressure moments is what should excite Giants’ brass and fans about his possible offensive addition. With runners in scoring position, he batted .275 with three HRs and 41 RBIs, while posting a stellar .344 OBP, .431 SLG, and .775 OPS in 128 plate appearances.

Even more impressive is his .429 average with the bases loaded and two outs, and .333 average with a runner on third and two outs. Situations the Giants failed to capitalize on throughout 2016.

With so much positive upside the trade brings offensively, it’s only fair to evaluate Martinez’ weak points defensively. San Francisco Giants’ team philosophy is built on defense, and digging into his metrics will show if he fits that philosophy.