NEW YORK -- Through all the shock and awe that has come with Mookie Betts' start, lost a bit has been what J.D. Martinez is doing as a member of the Red Sox.
Martinez has come as advertised, and then some.
In case you haven't noticed, the outfielder/designated hitter is heading into the Yankees series with a .349 batting average, 1.015 OPS and eight home runs (with an equal number at home and on the road). With two outs and runners in scoring position Martinez has eight hits in 16 at-bats with two walks. And in his last 12 games, he's hitting .447 (the best in baseball) with a 1.287 OPS
But, believe or not, this might just be scratching the surface.
Martinez has played the exact same number of games in the outfield as he has at designated hitter, a notion that would have as a surprise to most (but not Martinez).
"Yeah. I would say so," said Martinez when asked if this was about what he expected when signing with the Red Sox. "I'm playing both, so I'm cool with it."
What the defensive opportunities have clearly done is give Martinez a level of comfort that is paying off. But there has been a flip-side to the equation that have offered challenges -- living the life as a designated hitter remains somewhat foreign.
"I feel like I'm kind of used to it now," Martinez said. "But once I get used to it the hard part is getting the routine of being a DH then going to the outfield and I lose the routine and I have to get into another outfield routine then I go back to the DH and then I have to jump back to the DH routine. It's just a back-and-forth."
"It's kind of of early, but finding that ability to get in the flow of the game isn't easy," said Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers. "He's such a process-oriented guy. He works his butt off. I don't see a difference in how he gets ready but maybe playing in the outfield allows him to get in the flow. It's about finding his routine that works. He's on top of it, but as time goes he will find that part that clicks."
This where we get to the part that the Red Sox should be excited about.
Even with all the gaudy numbers Martinez has put up, when you look at what he has done as a DH there is definitely room for improvement. As an outfielder, he is hitting .418 with an 1.070 OPS, while his average dips to .271 as a designated hittter.
Martinez seems to be figuring this DHing thing out, having hit a home run in each of the last three games he has started in the spot, going 5-for-12.
"I'm getting used to it," said Martinez, who had only started 35 games at DH prior to coming to Boston. "Obviously I like the outfield better. You're more in the game, I feel like. I'm figuring it out. Figuring out the routine.
"[The outfield] It keeps you loose. You're running around. You're a DH, you're just sitting there, watching the game and then you have to get hit. Obviously you're going to be more loose when you're running around."
