Lakeland, Fla. — J.D. Martinez knew he had an uncharacteristically subpar defensive season last year. He made some mistakes early and never really regained the form that made him a Gold Glove finalist in 2015.
That said, the metrics — the sheer gaudiness of the number — still shocked him. Research by FanGraphs and Baseball Reference had Martinez at the bottom of the charts among right fielders with a minus-22 rating in defensive runs saved.
“When I saw that, I really looked into it,” he said Friday, on report day for position players. “I was like, “How is that possible?