The Los Angeles Dodgers were relatively quiet this winter, even after losing a few key pieces in Justin Turner, Trea Turner, and Cody Bellinger.
However, they did make some important moves to supplement their roster.
One of those moves was for slugger J.D. Martinez.
Martinez had spent the previous five seasons with the Boston Red Sox, but joined the Dodgers on a one-year, $10 million contract this offseason.
He’ll likely serve as the team’s designated hitter.
On Thursday, the veteran slugger got a chance to catch up with MLB Network’s Yonder Alonso.
In the interview, Martinez broke down his approach and explained his hitting routine to Alonso.
In his first #SpringTraining as a Dodger, J.D. Martinez walks @YonderalonsoU through his mentality at the plate and the physics of his swing.@Dodgers | @JDMartinez28 pic.twitter.com/M84DvXxs3X
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 24, 2023
Martinez says the first thing he likes to do is study the pitcher and try to figure out his tendencies, as well as analyzing his pitch types and what he goes to in certain situations.
He acknowledged that sometimes he may be wrong in his approach, but that he prefers to have the wrong gameplan rather than no gameplan at all.
The veteran slugger also pointed out that it’s important to understand the situation of the game and whether or not there are runners on base or in scoring position and the score of the game as well.
Martinez then discussed the excitement he’s feeling about sharing a lineup with several stars in Los Angeles, such as Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
He says he’s looking forward to competing with Freeman and Betts.
Betts was a teammate of his during his time with the Red Sox.
NEXT: Dodgers Slugger Seen Applauding A Rule Change
