The New York Yankees are facing uncertainty in their lineup as Giancarlo Stanton begins the 2025 season on the injured list alongside DJ LeMahieu. This situation has sparked speculation about potential replacements for the designated hitter position, with J.D. Martinez emerging as a rumored external option. Martinez, known for his impressive career since being drafted by the Astros, has remained a strong hitter despite aging, showing notable power and a high walk rate even in the 2024 season with the Mets. His recent performances make him an intriguing candidate for the Yankees as they seek to fill roster gaps.
Martinez has had a fascinating and well-documented journey of a big league career. He was a Quad-A guy in the Astros organization in the early 2010s before being released and picked up by the Tigers. There, with the use of newer tech and more productive swing approach, Martinez almost instantly became an elite hitters in the sport.
After an excellent five-year run with the Red Sox, Martinez landed with the Dodgers for his age-35 season in 2023, and once again tore it up after showing some light signs of slowing down.
At 36 years old, he was still an above-average hitter, slashing .235/.320/.406, good for a 108 wRC+ in his 120 ballgames. Regression at his age is no big surprise, and while it was his worst power year post-breakout a decade earlier, he still bumped his walk rate up to nearly 10 percent, his highest mark in years.
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