Boston Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez seems confident the club is entering the 2020 season with a different mindset than the one they had last spring training, fresh off a World Series title.
Martinez spoke to reporters in Fort Myers, Fla. on Monday and said he thinks it’s due to the players having a bitter taste in their mouths after a modest 84-win campaign in 2019.
“I definitely think a lot of guys are a little more more hungry, I feel like, than last year,” Martinez said, per WBZ’s Dan Roche. “I’m not saying our team was complacent last year, but I think we were just a little bit more relaxed coming in.
“And I think this year, last year was kind of a slap in the face, a reality check for us,” Martinez said. “And I think a lot of guys are coming in a lot more determined and ready to go.”
Martinez and the Sox took part in their first full-squad workout from JetBlue Park on Monday.
