Los Angeles Dodgers: Five players to watch in the NLDS
By Jason Reed
RF J.D. Martinez
J.D. Martinez was a huge acquisition for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Arizona traded for Martinez back on July 18, and since his arrival, the Diamondbacks have a 39-30 record. The Dodgers? 39-29. Arizona added the big bat of Martinez to an already stacked lineup, giving opposing pitchers headaches in the process.
In 62 games with the Diamondbacks Martinez hit .302 with 29 home runs and 65 RBIs. Altogether, Martinez slugged a career-best 45 home runs and 104 RBIs. Dodger fans know exactly the kind of power Martinez exhibits, as he hit four home runs in Dodger Stadium on September fourth.
In the NL Wild Card Game, Martinez was relatively quiet. Despite there being 19 combined runs between the two teams, Martinez went 0-4 with one walk, one run and two strikeouts. However, Martinez is as hot as ever as he is batting .396 since the beginning of September.
Neutralizing the bat of Martinez is going to be huge for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Paul Goldschmidt is always going to give the team a headache, and if the Dodgers can quiet Martinez, they put themselves in a much better position. Arizona hit .243 against lefties compared to .258 against righties, so shutting Martinez’ right-handed bat is critical.
Martinez may be the biggest out in the Diamondbacks’ lineup, even with Paul Goldschmidt. If Los Angeles wants to win the series, well, they need to shut down J.D. Martinez.