July 13, 2020 7:31 AM : Martinez launched a home run Sunday, his second in four intrasquad games during summer camp, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Analysis: In a normal 162-game season that would begin during cooler months in the northeast, Martinez's power would not be as dialed in as it appears to be now leading up to the 2020 season. "J.D.'s not a traditional fast starter so he's always telling me, 'I need as many at-bats as I can get because in spring training, it just takes me a long time,'" manager Ron Roenicke said Sunday. "I'm not seeing that right now. He's really good. He's going the other way. The offspeed, he's pulling. He's hit a couple home runs on them." Since joining Boston in 2018, Martinez has slugged .534 with nine home runs in 54 games during March/April. Those metrics get better in the warmer months: May (.645, 20 HR in 51 games), June (.611, 14 in 49), July (.564, 12 in 46) and August (.726, 17 in 52). The lesson here is that Martinez should be hitting for power early in the season.