I'm interested if any of the data analytics junkies have done a case study on J.D. Martinez. He went from Avi like numbers to an all-star seemingly over night. I'd love to know if analysis shows any sub-surface leading indicators of his emergence, which could then be helpful in identifying future players poised to make a similar leap.

I'm interested if any of the data analytics junkies have done a case study on J.D. Martinez. He went from Avi like numbers to an all-star seemingly over night. I'd love to know if analysis shows any sub-surface leading indicators of his emergence, which could then be helpful in identifying future players poised to make a similar leap.

Hommie changed his swing Royal - that's all I know.

At a glance, the only difference in his productivity is that he simply started hitting homers. The only thing I can see in his peripherals is that he's swinging at more pitches -- both good and bad -- than he did at the beginning of his career.

Started pulling the ball a lot more, which, speaking of Avi, is exactly what he needs to do if he's ever gonna hit with any power.

 

Martinez Pull% by year:

32.5

34.6

36.9

44.9 *Breakout 2014

41.1

 

For Avi:

34.8

37.7 *Highest ISO of any single-stop sample in career longer than 8 games

36.1

Started pulling the ball a lot more, which, speaking of Avi, is exactly what he needs to do if he's ever gonna hit with any power.

 

Martinez Pull% by year:

32.5

34.6

36.9

44.9 *Breakout 2014

41.1

 

For Avi:

34.8

37.7 *Highest ISO of any single-stop sample in career longer than 8 games

36.1

 

Nice find, I didn't dig that deep. That's pretty much Jose Bautista did too, if I remember correctly.

Edited January 7, 201610 yr by Eminor3rd

http://www.foxsports.com/detroit/story/whe...ome-from-062314

 

Martinez missed 44 games late last season with an injured wrist. And while watching video one day in Toronto with Houston Astros teammate Jason Castro, he made an abrupt decision while watching Castro's pretty swing.

 

Martinez said: "I thought, 'Dang! His swing is so much different than mine.' I watched his swing a lot on video and then started watching the swings of great hitters. The one I watched the most was Miguel Cabrera because his has a commonality to all great swings.

 

"And I decided to change my swing -- completely."

 

http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2014/7/16/5891...-improved-swing

 

And just naturally he ended up with the Tigers. The real irony is it didn't rub off on Baby Miggy. Or the fact if we had Miggy instead it could have potentially helped us land Martinez, etc.

Edited January 7, 201610 yr by caulfield12

He has also swung at a much higher % of pitches inside the strikezone, despite him seeing the same or less pitches inside the zone. So he's upped his aggression within the strikezone as well. If he sees a strike, he swings at it now.

 

Z-Swing % (% of pitches a batter swings at that are inside the strike zone)

2011 - 70.4%

2012 - 65.4%

2013 - 68.4%

2014 - 76.1% *BREAKOUT YEAR*

2015 - 74.4%

 

Zone% (% of pitches thrown inside the zone to him)

2011 - 48.2%

2012 - 48.4%

2013 - 49.3%

2014 - 48.3% *BREAKOUT YEAR*

2015 - 45.9%

 

So to go along with the pull% numbers, he basically turned in to a much more aggressive hitter on pitches in the zone, which forced pitchers to start throwing less strikes, which in turn boosted his walk%.

At a glance, the only difference in his productivity is that he simply started hitting homers. The only thing I can see in his peripherals is that he's swinging at more pitches -- both good and bad -- than he did at the beginning of his career.

So to become a better hitter he became less patient and stopped trying to go the other way. He's becoming more of just a pull hitter.

So to become a better hitter he became less patient and stopped trying to go the other way. He's becoming more of just a pull hitter.

Unfortunately I don't think Avi can do the "less patient" part.

So to become a better hitter he became less patient and stopped trying to go the other way. He's becoming more of just a pull hitter.

 

Looks like it, yeah. He just decided that he was going to live or die by the homer, embraced it, and so far has been good enough at punishing everything that he makes contact with to be able to sell out the rest of his game.

So to become a better hitter he became less patient and stopped trying to go the other way. He's becoming more of just a pull hitter.

 

Less patient in the zone, yes. But his walk total is climbed as well since his breakout.

Less patient in the zone, yes. But his walk total is climbed as well since his breakout.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the walks went up simply because he established himself as a power threat and pitchers got more careful.

He also started hitting the ball a lot harder.

 

Hardhit% by year:

 

2011: 28.8%

2012: 26.2%

2013: 34.1%

2014: 43.3%

2015: 42.3%

 

He led all qualified hitters in hard-hit% this year.

He also started hitting the ball a lot harder.

 

Hardhit% by year:

 

2011: 28.8%

2012: 26.2%

2013: 34.1%

2014: 43.3%

2015: 42.3%

 

He led all qualified hitters in hard-hit% this year.

 

Is that a function of pulling the ball more? I also wonder if he improved his recognition some how. That could lead to better zone swinging, pulling the ball, and hitting it harder.

I wouldn't be surprised if the walks went up simply because he established himself as a power threat and pitchers got more careful.

 

Well, yeah. Players who suck, or have no power, get a ton of strikes thrown their way.

 

Gordon Beckham has seen 52.5% of his career pitches thrown in the strike zone. Over the past 5 seasons, only Marco Scutaro's 2013 season saw a player with a higher % in a qualified season.

 

On the other side of that, as in, the least amount of strikes thrown a player in a season since 2011 include Josh Hamilton's 2012, Fielder's 2011, Stanton's 2013, Harper's 2015, and a few Pablo Sandoval seasons for some reason.

Edited January 7, 201610 yr by Chilihead90

Clutch, haha...Crede and Sandoval.

Well, yeah. Players who suck, or have no power, get a ton of strikes thrown their way.

 

Gordon Beckham has seen 52.5% of his career pitches thrown in the strike zone. Over the past 5 seasons, only Marco Scutaro's 2013 season saw a player with a higher % in a qualified season.

 

On the other side of that, as in, the least amount of strikes thrown a player in a season since 2011 include Josh Hamilton's 2012, Fielder's 2011, Stanton's 2013, Harper's 2015, and a few Pablo Sandoval seasons for some reason.

Sandoval's a big time hacker so you might as well not throw him anything to hit.