J.D. Martinez, on the back of his best stretch of play since joining the Mets this offseason, has been named the Player of the Week for the National League.
During a six-game homestand, the veteran designated hitter helped power the Mets to five straight wins, including his first career walk-off home run Thursday against the Miami Marlins.
With the Mets down 1-0 and a runner on base, Martinez took a slider down in the zone off Miami’s tough closer Tanner Scott (1.30 ERA in 27.2 innings at the time) the opposite way for the game-winning two-run shot.
The 36-year-old wasn’t done as he uncorked a pair of homers in Saturday’s win over the San Diego Padres during a stretch of reaching base in 10 straight plate appearances.
“What he was able to do was really special,” Pete Alonso said of Martinez. “Not just driving pitches, but it’s the pitches that he doesn’t swing at – the tough pitchers’ pitches that he just takes… It was a clinic he put on this homestand.”
Overall, Martinez went 9-for-20 (.450) with three doubles and three home runs with nine RBI and six walks and a hit by pitch. He posted a 1.050 slugging percentage and 1.643 OPS.
“Impressive,” manager Carlos Mendoza said, “but that’s what special hitters do. To see him get hot like that, he can carry a team.”
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