J.D. Martinez Could Hit a Lot of Homers in the Sultry Arizona Air
Martinez emerged as a 30+ home run player in the cold Detroit weather. His potential in a hitter-friendly ballpark is endless
Another blockbuster deal emerged yesterday, with the Arizona Diamondbacks receiving the power hitting corner outfielder they have been looking for while pushing to make a playoff appearance. J.D. Martinez will add some much needed pop in the middle of the D-Backs lineup to compliment Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb, who are both having outstanding seasons for Arizona.
Arizona sits 10.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West, but they are hand in hand with the Rockies for a Wild Card spot. Martinez is a free agent at the end of the year, so he’s likely a rental for the D-backs, but he could add some much needed power to the heart of the Arizona lineup.
Martinez is hitting .305 this year with 16 homers, and has emerged as one of the top power hitters in the game, highlighted by his 2015 campaign in which he went deep a career-best 38 times. Playing in Arizona, Martinez could hit for more power than we could have ever imagined. Why, you ask? The thin Arizona air.
More Homers?
JD Martinez spent most of his career with Detroit. He never played in a hot climate on a consistent basis. Arizona is very warm, all the time. A baseball carries extremely well in that type of air. He hit 38 home runs two years ago playing in the cold Detroit weather. In this type of humid weather, where the ball absolutely flies, there is a good chance Martinez could go on an absolute tear for the Diamondbacks. Even if he doesn’t square up a ball right on the barrel, it’s still got a chance to get in the bleachers. This might sound outrageous to some people, but it’s true.
The acquisition of J.D. Martinez could be a great move for Arizona, and could be the missing piece the Diamondbacks were looking for to help them make their first playoff appearance since 2011. Between Goldschmidt, Lamb, and now Martinez, the D-Backs have one of the best trios of power hitters in the majors.
