Fantasy Baseball: 10 Hitters Expected to See an Increase in Production
J.D. Martinez, OF, Detroit Tigers
2016 nF Score: 2.59
2017 Projected nF Score: 4.66
Projected Boost: +2.07
| Year | PA | R | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 517 | 69 | 22 | 68 | 1 | .307 | .908 |
| 2017 (Projected) | 573 | 81 | 28 | 90 | 3 | .283 | .859 |
The Detroit Tigers spent most of the winter trying to trade outfielder J.D. Martinez, but since the roster didn't change very much compared to 2016, him remaining in the Motor City may be the best-case scenario for the organization. Fantasy baseball owners are probably pretty pumped, too.
Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez get a lot of attention in the middle of manager Brad Ausmus' order, but Martinez is the key third cog to this group.
Like we'll see with a handful of players here, some of their counting stats are suppressed because they missed time last season due to injury. Martinez is in that group, as he was limited to just 120 games because of a fractured elbow. But when he was in the lineup, he was an elite fantasy asset.
Since joining the Tigers in time for the 2014 season, Martinez has never posted had an Isolated Power (ISO) below .228 in a single season, which has been accompanied by a wRC+ that's never dipped beneath 137.
What's even more encouraging is that his walk rate increased and his strikeout rate decreased for the third consecutive year, while his hard-hit rate was better than 40% for the third straight season.
Current Fantasy Draft Information
Martinez is currently being selected as the 13th outfielder off the board with an average draft position (ADP) of 52.12, according to NFBC drafts. Based on his track record, he could easily be a top-10 outfielder if he can stay healthy.
