DH: Victor Martinez – DET
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Victor Martinez is the best hitter in baseball, as far as I’m concerned. He backed this statement up with a fantastic 2014, which saw him place second in AL MVP voting. Victor hit .335 with 32 homers and 103 RBI out of the Tigers’ cleanup spot. He also led the American League with a .406 on-base percentage.
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After returning from a serious knee injury in 2013, Martinez struggled out of the gate, but had a monster second half. He carried this success over to 2014, and was one of the best players in the league in 2014. With Cabrera having somewhat of a quieter year, Victor really picked up the slack in the Tigers’ lineup.
He was a free agent after the 2014 season, but became one of the first free agents signed when the Tigers very quickly made him an enticing offer. GM Dave Dombrowski made it clear from the get-go that retaining Victor was his top priority.
Unfortunately for Victor and the Tigers, V-Mart tore his meniscus in February. He will miss a good chunk of spring training, but apparently should be back around Opening Day. The Tigers will need him to not miss a significant amount of time, as he is one of the most feared hitters in the game today.