With the current roster situation, and the exact roll of Matt Carpenter at first base still up in the air, it’s easy for a player to find himself the ‘odd man out.’ For someone like Jose Martinez, that’s exactly where he finds himself heading into the 2018 season. Martínez has not been one of the more consistently productive hitters on the team since his call-up. However, he has proven one thing since his establishment; this man sure can hit. With his time in the Minor League system, Jose had won multiple honors & awards for hitting. He not only was able to produce where it counted, but he knew what he was doing. All in all, the numbers posted by Martinez at this time were consistent when it mattered. The only thing that stood in his way, was the susceptibility to injury.
In 2017 for the Cardinals, Martinez appeared in 272 AB. He batted a consistent .309 BA, all while slashing 14 HR’s, 46 RBI, and also managing to score 47 Runs. To go along with a rather satisfying line, he tallied up 4 SB as well. The stolen base totals were not impressive by any stretch, but enough to help his cause, nonetheless. For Jose’s MLB total, he has an overall average BA of .316/14HR/47RBI/4SB. To look more specifically into Martinez’s Statcast Averages: (Per MLB.com), Jose has an average Exit Velocity of 90.87 MPH. Which (may I point out), is ABOVE the MLB Average of 87.32. For his Avg. HR distance, it sits at 401.48 FT. This, is too above the MLB Average. (of 400.52 FT.) Martinez also has a launch angle that is close to the MLB Average in that category. The moral for him, is that he is an outstanding hitter with numbers to back his resume. Numbers, that truly do not lie.
His Accomplishments:
One factor that Martinez accomplished in 2017 that was more than likely forgotten about, was when José was named ‘NL Rookie of the Month’ for the month of September. Ultimately, he became a better & better hitter as the year went on. To validate, we can look further into the stats per Fan Graphs:As the season progressed & came to a close, Jose actually became a better hitter. Putting up bigger numbers, & performing with an impressive OPS. All in all, it is evident of the offensive contribution Jose Martinez can make to this Cardinals team in 2018. Regardless of position, (or how well of a pitch hitter he was in ‘17), Jose deserves a chance. A chance to shine, & show us exactly what he is made of. It is important that Mike Matheny is able to give Jose as much playing time as possible. It is absolutely ignorant to put a playing-time cap on a player that truly has the ability to be a great hitter with time.
My Verdict:
There is no doubt that Martinez can heat up, & be one of the best hitters in the National League. Avoiding injury, is ultimately the biggest hurdle for him going forward. As long as Jose can surely avoid such a travesty (& how much playing time is received), he will surely be smacking his way on base, & into many leading offensive categories in no time. Goodnight. -Hunter Ives//
Check out my Twitter for more Strong MLB Opinions @Ives_Baseball
