J.D. Martinez has picked up right where he left off a season ago. On Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox slugger launched a towering home run over Fenway Park’s Green Monster, becoming MLB’s first 20-home run man in 2018.
Aiming for the 🌙 pic.twitter.com/3qOcpNNj6C
— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 5, 2018
Martinez is on pace to hit more than 50 home runs in 2018. Amazingly, that actually short-changes him.
After being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017, he hit a staggering 29 home runs in only 232 at-bats. Tuesday’s home run was his 20th of 2018 in 220 at-bats for the Red Sox. That’s 49 home runs in only 432 at-bats, which works out to a pace of just under 60 in 550 at-bats.
Pitchers would be well advised to be careful with Martinez.