What Miguel Cabrera and Paul Casanova taught J.D. Martínez about hitting
By César Augusto Márquez
In his third postseason, J.D. Martínez was prepared for an important at-bat in the postseason. Though he had never been to a Championship Series or World Series before, the Cuban-American slugger had discussed high-pressure situations at length with a teammate while he was in Detroit.
And there aren’t many better players in the game today to learn from than Miguel Cabrera.
Learning from his Peers
Now one of Boston’s biggest offensive threats, Martínez spent three seasons underwhelming seasons in Houston. His release by the Astros opened the door for a career revival, and his situation – and outlook- changed dramatically in 2014 when he arrived in Detroit.
In his first season with the Tigers he slashed .315/.358/.553 with 23 home runs, a surprising success he attributes the change to the example that came from Cabrera and another notable Latin American slugger, Victor Martínez.
“Just to get there and see them play, it served as an apprenticeship for whoever wanted to hit well at this level,” J.D. Martínez told La Vida Baseball. “In the case of Miguel, he was the one who taught me how to use my swing so that I used the whole field. … I thank Miguel for how much he helped me become better while I was in Detroit.”
Portable Lessons
The Boston slugger has carried the lessons from Cabrera with him to 2018. According to FanGraphs, 31.4% of Martínez’s hits this year went to the opposite field, a departure from the pull-hitter mentality that didn’t work for him in Houston.
Current Red Sox teammate David Price, who was also a teammate of Martínez’s in Detroit, remains impressed by Martínez’s evolution into a player hits with power to all fields.
“Being with him in Detroit in 2014 and the first half of 2015, watching the way he swung the bat and just power to all fields. He really took after (Miguel Cabrera’s) approach when he was in Detroit and it did wonders for him,” Price said following Boston’s signing of Martínez.
While in Detroit, Martínez appeared in one Divisional Series. And in 2017, after a trade from Detroit to Arizona, he played in the National League Wild Card game. He reflected on how those experiences added a different perspective to his education from Cabrera.
“The game will always be essentially the same, only that in the playoffs we play with greater intensity,” he said. “You know that you are playing for bigger things. Miguel was someone who knew how to deal with those kinds of at-bats in these intense situations.”
A Student of Hitting
Cuban catcher Paul Casanova, who played nine major league seasons between 1965-74, was Martínez’s first teacher. The young hitter developed as a ballplayer under the former major leaguer’s guidance at his Miami baseball hitting academy. Ever since then Martínez has been willing to learn the art of hitting.
Time in Detroit had provided him two new hitting teachers by example. From Victor Martínez and Cabrera, he learned how to take important at-bats and to use the whole field.
However, J.D. Martínez was among the first players to emphasize launch angles. He started digging into the research during the 2013 offseason, shortly before being released by Houston. He worked with Craig Wallenbrock, a former hitting coach to one of Martínez’s teammates (Jason Castro), who changed his batting swing.
The changes put into place transformed Martínez into one of the game’s most feared sluggers. It also showcased his willingness to learn.
“I think one should update oneself. I like to learn how to be better and I try to see what works best for me,” Martínez said in sharing his philosophy on hitting.
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