The MLB Trade Deadline is a great chance for contending teams to improve their rosters ahead of a (potential) playoff run. But the teams are not the only ones who get benefited from these transactions. Sometimes a trade becomes the perfect chance for a player to break out. And in the case of established players, perhaps a change of scenery is all they need to take the next step in their careers.
Take J.D. Martinez, for example. The outfielder was one of the best players on an aging Detroit Tigers roster but did not have space in the franchise’s rebuilding effort. So the management went ahead and traded him to the Arizona Diamondbacks before the Deadline. And if we take a look at his numbers, there is no question moving to Arizona has been one of the best things that ever happened to the outfielder.
Since joining the D-backs on July 18, Martinez has hit .291 with a 1.094 OPS. He also has 26 home runs and 56 RBI… in only 55 games. To put things into perspective, he only hit 16 homers in 57 contests with Detroit prior to the trade. Martinez’s 42 homers rank third in the Majors as well. Only Giancarlo Stanton (56) and Aaron Judge (46) have more homers than him.
Overall, Martinez is in the midst of the best season of his career. His .682 slugging percentage and 1.057 OPS would be career highs if the season ended today. So are the 42 homers, and is only seven RBI to establish a career-high mark in that department as well. He has only played 112 games, however, so his stats must be taken with a grain of salt. But he has been impressive either way.
To make things even better, he also made history since joining Arizona. He became the first player in MLB history to hit four HRs at Dodger Stadium in a single game. He accomplished that feat on September 4, during Arizona’s 13-0 rout of LA.
The Diamondbacks have an 89-65 mark this season prior to Saturday’s action. Barring something extraordinary, they shouldn’t have problems to make the playoffs as one of the two NL Wild Card teams. But considering their recent form, no team will want to face Arizona come postseason time.
And Martinez has played a big role on that.