🖥 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Implications - J.D. Martinez to the Red Sox

Boston Red Sox OF JD Martinez is on a new team for the 2018 MLB season. Michael Grennell analyzes his move to the AL East to see whether his ADP will rise or fall.

The national nightmare is finally over. After weeks upon months of fantasy owners developing carpal tunnel syndrome from hitting F5 repeatedly, desperately searching for any new updates, J.D. Martinez has signed a five-year, $110 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.

After accumulating a .251 average and .687 on-base plus slugging percentage with 24 home runs over his first three seasons with the Houston Astros, Martinez has become one of the top sluggers in the game. Since joining the Tigers in 2014, Martinez has hit .300 with 128 home runs and a .936 OPS — the sixth highest OPS among players with at least 2,000 plate appearances over that time span.

The signing of Martinez does pose an interesting question for Boston now: Who will play where? Last season, the Red Sox sported an outfield trio of Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts with Hanley Ramirez getting the majority of the playing time at designated hitter. Now, barring any trades or injuries, all four will be on the roster in 2018, along with Martinez. So who is going to lose playing time now in Boston? As Scott Boras undoubtedly skips down Yawkey Way whistling with glee, let's take a look at the what this signing will mean to fantasy owners this season.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Heading to Greener Grass?

Splitting time between Detroit and Arizona last season, Martinez put up the best numbers of his career, batting .303 with a career-high 1.066 OPS and 45 HR. Martinez also set a career-high with a 10.8 percent walk rate, marking his fourth consecutive year of increasing his walk rate. While his strikeout rate was up almost one and a half percent from 2016, his 26.2 K% was the fourth-lowest of his career.

The one big concern for Martinez entering the season is how will his home run totals be affected by playing half of his games at Fenway Park? Last season, Comerica Park and Chase Field were two of the top-10 most hitter-friendly stadiums when it came to home runs. Fenway Park, on the other hand, was among the bottom 10 in the league. Martinez hit 24 of his 45 home runs to right-center or right field in 2017, and while Fenway's right field fence is the closest to home plate of the three parks, the distances to right-center and deep right-center field are between seven and 15 feet further at Fenway than either Comerica or Chase. In seven career games at Fenway Park, Martinez has never hit a home run there. While that will certainly change this season, fantasy owners should likely expect closer to 30 HR than 45 in 2018.

Moving into the Boston lineup, Martinez should see an increase in his counting numbers. After joining the Diamondbacks halfway through last year, he recorded 26 more RBI and nine more runs in 25 more plate appearances than his totals in Detroit. Arizona had the eighth-highest scoring offense last year, averaging 5.01 runs per game, while Boston was 10th in the league, averaging 4.85 runs per game.

With all that in mind, it seems like Martinez should be in line for roughly 35 HR, with 90 runs and 115 RBI in Boston. Our rankings currently have Martinez as the No. 8 outfielder, with a target draft range of early in the third round. Now that he's with the Red Sox, he is likely worth picking up in the late second round and might even be worth taking over Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge — our No. 7 outfielder.

As far as the effect his signing will have on the Red Sox outfield, it will primarily impact Jackie Bradley Jr. While Bradley was likely not going to have an impact in mixed leagues, he was may have had some value in AL-only leagues in 2018. Bradley hit 17 HR last year and 26 HR in 2016, and could've been in line for at least 20 HR this year. Based on his 14.5 percent HR/FB rate in 2017 — which was 3.5 percent lower than his average from the previous two seasons — 2018 could have seen a bump in his power numbers. Now barring trade or injury, Bradley will be undraftable in anything but deep AL-only leagues.

 

More 2018 Player Outlooks




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Romeo Doubs

Questionable to Return Against Bears in Week 16
Jordan Love

Ruled Out with Concussion, Replaced by Malik Willis
Jalen Smith

Expected to Remain in Lineup Sunday
Ayo Dosunmu

Probable for Meeting With Hawks
Jordan Love

Evaluated for Concussion, Questionable to Return
Coby White

Iffy for Sunday
Andrew Wiggins

May Remain Out Sunday
Davion Mitchell

Questionable for Sunday
Tyler Herro

to Miss Fourth Straight Game Sunday
Trae Young

Available for Sunday's Tilt
Doug McDermott

Active on Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Misses Battle of Los Angeles
Jerami Grant

Won't Play Saturday Night, Kris Murray Joins Starting Unit
Jonathan Isaac

Tristan da Silva Out, Jonathan Isaac Returns for Magic Saturday
Jalen Suggs

Out Against Jazz
Lauri Markkanen

Misses Second Consecutive Game
Grayson Allen

Unavailable Against Warriors
Jonathan Kuminga

Misses Saturday's Action Due to Illness
Cam Spencer

Makes Third Career Start Saturday
Cam Whitmore

Jamir Watkins Out Against Grizzlies
Bilal Coulibaly

Departs Lineup Saturday
Khris Middleton

Ready to Face Grizzlies
Pat Connaughton

Tre Mann, Pat Connaughton Active Saturday
D'Andre Swift

Officially Active Against Packers on Saturday
Dontayvion Wicks

Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks Active for Week 16
Caris LeVert

Cleared for Action Saturday
Marcus Mariota

Questionable to Return with Hand Injury
Josh Jacobs

Active for Saturday's Game
Ricky Pearsall

Ruled Out for Week 16
Mike Matheson

Returns Against Former Team Saturday
Timothy Liljegren

Misses Saturday's Game
Mackie Samoskevich

Out on Saturday
Anthony Cirelli

Available Against Hurricanes
Brandon Hagel

Added to Injured Reserve
Nikita Kucherov

a Game-Time Call Saturday
J.T. Miller

Injured in Saturday's Win
Christian Watson

Should Be Able to Go Against Bears
Zach Bogosian

Unavailable Saturday
Marcus Johansson

Questionable for Saturday
Bo Horvat

to Miss Fourth Straight Game Saturday
Seth Jarvis

to Be "Out for a While"
Phillip Danault

Rejoins Canadiens for Draft Pick
Mason Marchment

Blue Jackets Acquire Mason Marchment
Brandon Lowe

Pirates Acquire Brandon Lowe in Three-Team Trade
Shane Baz

Orioles Acquire Shane Baz From the Rays
Jonathan Marchessault

Out Day-to-Day
Tristan Jarry

Oilers Place Tristan Jarry on Injured Reserve
Patrick Kane

to Remain Out Saturday
Shea Theodore

Considered Week-to-Week
Jack Eichel

to Miss at Least Two More Games
Davante Adams

Likely Won't Play in Week 17
Jordan Martinook

Misses Friday's Contest
Evan Rodrigues

Available Against Hurricanes
Tyler Seguin

Undergoes Surgery, to Be Re-Evaluated After Olympics
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Listed as Questionable for Week 16
Drake London

Expected to Play Sunday
Tee Higgins

Questionable to Play in Week 16
Michael Carter

Will Start at RB in Week 16
Dalton Kincaid

Will Practice on Friday, Expected to Play on Sunday
Garrett Wilson

Shelved for Remainder of 2025
CFB

Darian Mensah Returning to Duke Next Season
CFB

Josh Hoover Linked to Indiana in Transfer Portal
CFB

Arch Manning Agrees to Reduced Compensation for 2026 Season
Kenneth Walker III

Breaks Off Long Touchdown in Comeback Win vs. Rams
Matthew Stafford

Racks Up Highest Yardage Total in Over a Decade
Puka Nacua

Delivers Career-Best Performance on Thursday Night Football
Michael King

Padres Bring Michael King Back on Three-Year Deal
Logan Webb

Will Pitch for Team USA in World Baseball Classic
Tarik Skubal

Joins Team USA for World Baseball Classic
Jakobi Meyers

Jaguars Agree to Three-Year Extension With Jakobi Meyers
Davante Adams

Officially Out on Thursday Night
CFB

Will Muschamp Becoming Next Texas Defensive Coordinator
CFB

Beau Pribula Set to Enter Transfer Portal
Bo Bichette

Willing to Make the Move to Second Base
CFB

Jeremiyah Love Officially Heading to NFL Draft
CFB

Jake Merklinger Leaving Tennessee for Transfer Portal
Mike Trout

Angels Open to Mike Trout Playing Center Field in 2026
CFB

Kansas State's Jayce Brown Intends to Transfer
CFB

Nation's Leading Passer Drew Mestemaker to Enter Transfer Portal
Justin Crawford

Phillies Planning to Start Justin Crawford in Center Field
CFB

Jayden Maiava Signs New Deal to Return to USC
CFB

Aidan Mizell Won't Return to Florida, Entering Transfer Portal
CFB

East Carolina Targeting Jordan Davis as Next Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Michigan QB Jadyn Davis Set to Enter Transfer Portal
CFB

Travis Williams Joining Texas A&M Defensive Staff
CFB

Dylan Raiola Entering His Name into Transfer Portal
CFB

Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby Plans to Transfer When Portal Opens
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia, Phillies Finalizing One-Year Deal on Monday
Brandon Royval

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
CFB

Baylor, LSU, Miami Among Potential Suitors for DJ Lagway
CFB

Aidan Chiles Will Enter Transfer Portal
Manel Kape

Shines At UFC Vegas 112
Kevin Vallejos

Gets Second-Round Knockout Win
Giga Chikadze

Suffers His First Career Knockout Loss
CFB

Quarterback DJ Lagway Entering Transfer Portal
Cesar Almeida

Gets Dominated
Cezary Oleksiejczuk

Wins Sixth Fight In A Row
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Melquizael Costa

Gets First-Round Knockout Win
Marcus Buchecha

Still Winless In The UFC
Kennedy Nzechukwu

And Marcus Buchecha Fight To Draw
Lance Gibson jr

Lance Gibson Jr. Drops Decision In His UFC Debut
King Green

Gets Back In The Win Column

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP