With one week before Opening Day, the New York Mets added arguably the best bat left on the free agent board. DH J.D. Martinez reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Mets, just one year removed after a renaissance season in Los Angeles.

A Look at Martinez

After fine-tuning his swing — which he said in 2016 focused primarily on keeping the bat in the zone for a longer period to give him a larger margin of error — in the mid-2010s to mimic the likes of Ryan Braun and Jason Castro, J.D. Martinez went from MLB outfielder on the outs to one of the game’s feared hitters.

Martinez had four 35+ home run seasons from 2015-2019 and continued to be a largely productive hitter in the early 2010s. The 36-year-old joined the Dodgers on a short-term deal in the 2022-23 offseason and continued to mash in southern California.

Despite only playing 113 games, Martinez hit 33 home runs and drove in 103 RBI for a Los Angeles team that finished second in the Majors in team OPS (.795).

Martinez’s approach at the plate allows him to beat up on offspeed and breaking balls that hang in the zone, as well as catch up to the heat.

And while Martinez did post poorer whiff rates against both breaking balls and offspeed pitches in 2023, that didn’t stop the veteran from posting a career-high 55.1% Hard Hit%. Although, that number could have been lower had he played more games.

The 36-year-old did deal with groin and back problems last season, both of which required stints on the IL.

Defensively, Martinez is virtually a DH-only player. The right-handed slugger played just three games in left and just one of those was a start in the outfield.

Per the New York Post, J.D. Martinez will join the Mets on a one-year deal worth $12MM.

Analysis

Unlike the likes of Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger — the likes of whom were reportedly interested in large deals but had to settle for less — Martinez was not going to command a lengthy deal at age 36.

Nonetheless, Martinez was on the market for an extended period.

Now for the Mets, this can be a big win provided Martinez can stay healthy. Martinez is an accomplished slugger who should slot in a strong lineup that’s set to include on-base machine Brandon Nimmo in the leadoff position, followed by Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso.

The move to get Martinez will likely hurt players like DJ Stewart and Mark Vientos, both of whom were ticketed to get time in the DH slot.