X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

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
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

J.D. Martinez Rankings Debate: Comparing RotoBaller's Rankers

It's the fantasy baseball draft season. To us baseball nerds, few things are more exciting than arguing about player rankings. Today, we'll discuss and compare J.D. Martinez's RotoBaller staff rankings. He was ranked No. 19 overall by Kyle Bishop, and No. 46 by Harris Yudin.

Throughout this series, we'll be using our February Staff Rankings to debate where to draft certain players. In cases where our writers had discrepancies, we've asked them to explain their rankings. These debates will provide us with some well-rounded analysis, and help identify undervalued/overvalued draft picks.

Editor's note: Check out our previous rankings debates on Nelson Cruz, Jose Abreu, and Bryce Harper.

 

2017 Draft Rankings Debate: J.D. Martinez

Kyle Bishop's Rankings Analysis

His Overall Ranking: 19

Oh, Harris. Why must we always fight like this?

First it was Nelson Cruz. Now you’re selling Martinez short? C’mon, bruh.

With Cruz, I kinda get it. Not easy to trust a guy entering his age-37 season to keep being a monster. What’s your beef with Just Dongs? Since his 2014 breakout, Martinez has hit .299/.357/.540. He’s 20th in home runs during that time despite only logging 600 plate appearances once. Maybe that’s what gives you pause. Fair, but it’s not like we’re talking about an injury-prone guy here…unlike Giancarlo Stanton, who you’ve ranked 10 spots higher. Martinez didn’t have a full complement of plate appearances in 2014 because he had to hit his way into the lineup that year. He was also a beast after returning from the elbow injury last year (.332/.393/.554, 10 HR in 232 PA) which is a damn sight better than ya boy A.J. Pollock did in returning from injury. Yet you’ve ranked him even higher than Stanton. And higher still in your rankings is George Springer, who hasn’t had a season as good as any of those guys yet (I still got mad love for George, but I digress).

We got to see what a full season of Martinez looks like in 2015, and the results were splendiferous: .282-93-38-102-3. That average was actually his worst of the last three years; he posted marks over .300 each of the other two seasons. The only guy with a higher Hard% than him since 2014 is retired now. He’s been among the best in exit velocity and barreled balls. You get the idea – the guy just flat-out crushes the ball, much like I am crushing this debate. Boosh and/or ka-kow!

 

Harris Yudin's Rankings Analysis

His Overall Ranking: 46

Even ignoring Martinez’s three seasons with the Astros and giving him the benefit of the doubt that he made the necessary adjustments upon his arrival in Detroit, there are still concerns surrounding the 29-year-old.

As you mentioned, in three seasons with the Tigers, Martinez has seen 600 plate appearances just once. In that 2015 campaign, while his power numbers were unusually impressive (more on that soon), he also suffered his lowest OPS, highest strikeout rate and worst BABIP of his short tenure in the Motor City.

Clearly, 2015 was an outlier, power-wise. His 38 homers were accompanied by an uncharacteristically high fly ball rate (43.5%). His next highest mark is 36.8% in 2014, and his 36.2% rate in 2016 indicates that that is where he will likely remain going forward. In his two injury-shortened seasons of ’14 and ’16, he smacked 23 and 22 long balls, respectively. Prorated over a full season, those numbers equate to roughly 30 each. So that’s what he is— a 30-homer player IF he can stay on the field. Somewhere in the 25 range is more feasible, though.

Don’t get me wrong— I love Martinez, and I think there’s a good chance he makes somewhat of a jump in my next set of rankings. But the fact of the matter is that there remains a ton of power to be had among outfielders in later rounds, and he just doesn’t stand out among the best. Giancarlo Stanton is a risk, but possesses obvious 40-homer power (or more), while A.J. Pollock and George Springer contribute much more heavily in runs and steals.

I have a hard time justifying a top-25 ranking for a 29-year-old, with one full major league season under his belt, who has never managed elite power numbers and a strong batting average in the same year.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Karl-Anthony Towns3 mins ago

Has A Rough Night On Tuesday
Jaden McDaniels8 mins ago

Erupts In Game 2
Daniel Gafford15 mins ago

Questionable To Return To Game 2
Luke Kornet1 hour ago

Out Again For Game 2
Grayson Allen1 hour ago

Won't Return To Tuesday's Game
Cody Bellinger1 hour ago

Exits After Hitting Outfield Wall
Francisco Alvarez1 hour ago

Likely Out Eight Weeks
Pete Fairbanks2 hours ago

Rays "Encouraged" By Pete Fairbanks' Tests
TJ Friedl2 hours ago

Closing In On Rehab Assignment
Lane Thomas2 hours ago

Leaves With Apparent Leg Injury
Kawhi Leonard2 hours ago

Returns To Clippers Lineup
DJ LeMahieu2 hours ago

Suffers Setback Tuesday
Kris Bryant4 hours ago

Won't Return Wednesday
Framber Valdez4 hours ago

Could Start A Game In Mexico City
Robert Stephenson4 hours ago

To Have Tommy John Surgery
Mike Trout4 hours ago

In The Leadoff Spot Against Orioles
Corbin Carroll4 hours ago

Sitting Versus Southpaw
Merrill Kelly4 hours ago

Placed On Injured List
Johnny Cueto4 hours ago

Signing With Rangers
Keibert Ruiz5 hours ago

To Begin Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Grayson Allen5 hours ago

Ready To Go Tuesday
Taijuan Walker5 hours ago

To Make Season Debut On Sunday
DJ LeMahieu5 hours ago

Could Return Soon
Zion Williamson5 hours ago

Confident Of Returning In Playoffs
Ryan Mountcastle5 hours ago

Remains Out For Tuesday's Game
Heston Kjerstad5 hours ago

Hitting Eighth In Season Debut
Terry Rozier5 hours ago

Ruled Out For Game 2
Giannis Antetokounmpo5 hours ago

To Remain Out On Tuesday
Andrew Peeke5 hours ago

Considered Week-To-Week
Ryan Lomberg5 hours ago

Unavailable Due To Illness
Alexandar Georgiev5 hours ago

To Remain Between The Sticks Tuesday
Ian Happ6 hours ago

Back In Action Against Astros
Nick Jensen6 hours ago

Rasmus Sandin Not Ready To Return
Drew Smyly6 hours ago

Kyle Hendricks, Drew Smyly Placed On Injured List
Rafael Devers6 hours ago

To Serve As DH On Wednesday
Samuel Girard6 hours ago

Set To Remain Out On Tuesday
Thatcher Demko6 hours ago

Out For Game 2, Questionable For Rest Of Series
Brandon Aiyuk6 hours ago

Trade Remains "Very Much In Play"
Denver Broncos7 hours ago

Broncos Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Patrick Surtain II
Kawhi Leonard8 hours ago

Present For Shootaround
New England Patriots9 hours ago

Patriots Haven't Received "Serious" Offers For No. 3 Pick
Kadarius Toney9 hours ago

Still In Chiefs' Plans
Jake Browning9 hours ago

Bengals Re-Sign Jake Browning
Ivan Fedotov9 hours ago

Agrees To Two-Year Extension With Flyers
Timo Meier9 hours ago

To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
Lucas Johansen10 hours ago

To Make Postseason Debut Tuesday
Brett Pesce10 hours ago

Questionable For Game 3
William Nylander10 hours ago

A Possibility For Game 3
Adrian Kempe13 hours ago

Keeps Postseason Scoring Streak Going
Adam Henrique13 hours ago

Collects Two Points In Game 1 Victory
Andrei Svechnikov13 hours ago

Sends Out Two Assists In Monday's Win
David Pastrnak13 hours ago

Ends Goal Drought Monday
Max Domi14 hours ago

Produces Multi-Point Performance In Game 2
Brett Pesce14 hours ago

Injury "Not Looking Good"
Nikola Jokic14 hours ago

Posts Special Triple-Double In Game 2 Victory
Jamal Murray14 hours ago

Completes 20-Point Effort With Big Game-Winner
LeBron James14 hours ago

Outstanding In Losing Effort
Anthony Davis14 hours ago

Leads All Scorers In Game 2 With 32 Points
Jarrett Allen14 hours ago

Gobbles Up 20 Rebounds In Game 2 Victory
Donovan Mitchell14 hours ago

Does It All For Cleveland In Game 2
Kyle Anderson14 hours ago

Questionable For Game 2
Mark Stone21 hours ago

Starts Scoring In Game 1 Win
Sebastian Aho21 hours ago

Posts Goal And Assist In Game 2 Win
Seth Jarvis21 hours ago

Leads Huge Comeback Win In Game 2
Evan Bouchard22 hours ago

Puts Up Four Assists From Back End In Game 1
Josh Hart1 day ago

Gets It Done In Game 2
Mitchell Robinson1 day ago

Cools Off On Monday Night
Jalen Brunson1 day ago

Struggles Shooting In Game 2
Brandon Aiyuk1 day ago

49ers Have Received Calls Regarding Brandon Aiyuk
Dak Prescott1 day ago

Not Trying To Be Highest-Paid Player
Zach Wilson1 day ago

Broncos Acquiring Zach Wilson From Jets
Matt Ryan1 day ago

Officially Retires From NFL
Cincinnati Bengals1 day ago

Sam Hubbard Recovering From Ankle Surgery
New England Patriots1 day ago

Patriots Listening To Calls For No. 3 Pick
Rashee Rice1 day ago

Expected To Receive Multi-Game Suspension
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Survives At Talladega For First Win Of 2024
Brad Keselowski1 day ago

Finishes Second At Talladega After Last-Lap Wreck
Anthony Alfredo1 day ago

Gets Best Finish For Beard Motorsports Since 2022
Todd Gilliland1 day ago

One Of The Strongest At Talladega
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace Finishes 36th At Talladega Superspeedway
Kyle Larson2 days ago

Fails To Deliver Value In DFS At Talladega
NASCAR2 days ago

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finishes Fourth At Talladega
Noah Gragson2 days ago

Surprisingly The Most Consistent Driver At Talladega
Shane Van Gisbergen2 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Acquits Himself Nicely In Drafting Debut
Michael McDowell2 days ago

Ends Talladega Wrecked From The Lead
Alex Bowman2 days ago

Quietly Captures Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Brock Bowers2 days ago

Jets The Favorite To Take Brock Bowers At No. 10
Drake Maye2 days ago

Giants Could Be Eyeing Drake Maye
Daniel Hemric2 days ago

Surges To Ninth-Place Result At Talladega
Harrison Burton2 days ago

Squeezes Into Top 10 At Talladega
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace Will Start 14th For the GEICO 500
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Avoid Rostering Tyler Reddick At Talladega?
John Hunter Nemechek2 days ago

Should DFS Players Roster John Hunter Nemechek At Talladega?
Joey Logano2 days ago

Expect Joey Logano To Compete For The Win At Talladega
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Is Denny Hamlin Recommended For Talladega?
Justin Haley3 days ago

Is A Top DFS Value At Talladega
William Byron3 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win Talladega
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Is Best Suited As A Tournament Play At Talladega
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Still "Open" To Trading Zach Wilson
Marquise Brown3 days ago

Could Have Lucrative Role In KC
Dak Prescott4 days ago

Hasn't Started Contract Negotiations With Cowboys
Zach Wilson4 days ago

Not At Voluntary Workouts
Jayden Daniels4 days ago

Not Interested In Playing In D.C.?
DJ Chark Jr.4 days ago

Visits With Chargers
Courtland Sutton4 days ago

Broncos Not Concerned With Courtland Sutton
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF