J.D. Martinez

Martinez is a rare first-round hitter who rarely runs, but he'll make up for it in every other spot. While the 31-year-old probably won't win another batting title at .330, he's a .307 hitter since 2014's breakout who has exceeded .300 in three straight years. He boasts an MLB-high .655 slugging percentage in the past two seasons with 88 long balls. Last season, he placed within the 97th percentile or better in exit velocity, hard-hit%, xAVG, xSLG, and xWOBA. Hitting in the middle of Boston's lineup also makes him a strong bet to drive in and score over 100 runs. Limited fielding reps helped him stay healthy, but he played enough OF (25 games) to maintain fantasy eligibility, making him a strong four-category star to target as early as fourth overall.

J.D. Martinez to test free agency after 2019?

Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports that slugger J.D. Martinez will likely opt out of his current deal after 2019 to test free agency.

Fantasy Impact

Martinez signed a five year, $110 million deal last winter with opt outs after 2019, 2020, and 2021. Drellich reports that Martinez is interested in re-structuring a contract, but Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski isn't. Dombrowski cites injury concerns as a reason not to re-structure the contract. If Martinez produces similar to last year in 2019, he will likely test free agency. The 31-year-old hit .330 with 43 homers in 2018.