Boston Red Sox: J.D. Martinez powering Sox to top of AL East

If the Boston Red Sox are going to win, they will need their power bats to come through. On Sunday it’s safe to say that J.D. Martinez did his job.

In Boston’s first three games, they struggled at the plate. It’s one of the major reasons that they ended up getting swept.

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But after that Boston has been playing a lot better. That is partly due to some quality pitching performances, but Boston’s bats have come alive.

Particularly one player has been great at the plate throughout 2021. J.D. Martinez is reminding fans of his MVP season in 2018.

So far this season, Martinez boasts a .472 batting average along with five home runs and 16 RBIs. The slugger also has a .500 OBP and an OPS of 1.583.

J.D. Martinez’ stellar Sunday for the Boston Red Sox

Sunday was a particularly great game for Martinez. He was the source of Boston’s power throughout the entire game.

Martinez went 4-6 against Baltimore. He blasted three home runs and had 4 RBIs along with a pair of strikeouts. It’s a stat line that shows exactly who Martinez is as a player.

When Martinez is able to connect with the ball he can do some damage. He has the capability to lead the Sox in home runs each and every season.

But the problem comes when Martinez can’t connect with the ball. When you are a power hitter such as himself, he can strike out a lot. When Martinez is cold at the plate, he can be a detriment to Boston’s offense and their ability to win games.

It’s rather impressive to see Martinez get off to such a great start this year. At the age of 33, Martinez isn’t the spring chicken that he once was. If anything he is past his prime.

But right now, Martinez is one of the best hitters in all of baseball. He currently leads the American League in home runs, RBIs, and hits.

And because of Martinez’s great play, the Red Sox are at the top of the AL East. They are doing much better than even the most positive fan could have expected. There might actually be hope for this team in 2021. Could Boston actually make the playoffs this season?

As long as Martines is continuing to smash the ball at the plate, the Boston Red Sox have a chance to do some damage and be one of the best teams in the AL East this season.