J.D. Martinez torched opposing pitching pretty much wire to wire in 2018, but he doesn’t have much hardware to show for it.
The Boston Red Sox slugger finished fourth in American League MVP voting, and Tuesday it was announced Tuesday that Oakland A’s designated hitter Khris Davis, not Martinez, won the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award.
While Davis hit more longballs than Martinez — 48 to 43 for the season — his overall hitting numbers weren’t quite as good as his Red Sox counterpart.
The statistical comparison:
Khris Davis: A .247/.328/.555 slash line with 93 runs scored, 25 doubles, 46 homers and 118 RBI across 139 games as a DH.
J.D. Martinez: A .297/.373/.597 slash line with 68 runs scored, 22 doubles, 27 homers and 79 RBI over 93 games played at DH. https://t.co/IMFT7iuG2W
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) November 20, 2018
So what gives? Well, look a little closer at the numbers — one in particular.
You’ll notice that Davis played 139 games as a designated hitter, while Martinez logged just 93 games in the role, as he also spent a fair amount of time in Boston’s outfield. Davis played in additional 11 games as a field player compared to Martinez’s 57.
While it hasn’t been confirmed, games played as DH seems to be the most logical conclusion. Whether or not Martinez should be punished for also playing in the field is a separate argument, but either way you slice it, there are good cases to be made for both sluggers.
And at the end of the day, we’re pretty sure Martinez will take a World Series over personal accolades.
