MLB: The 10 Sweetest Right-Handed Swings
5. J.D. Martinez
J.D. Martinez‘s swing may be the best one going in today’s game. But it took a while to find. His first three big league seasons amounted to 24 home runs, a .251 batting average, and a .687 OPS. He was a jumpy hitter with poor balance and an uncomfortable double-tap as a stride.
That all changed when he went from Houston to Detroit, where he broke out to the tune of 23 homers, a .315 batting average, and a .912 OPS. Martinez’s mechanics suddenly clicked. He began to let the ball get deep before driving it out of the zone, plus he quieted his hands and his stride.
Today, he’s making right-center field of Fenway Park seem tiny. Rather than getting lured by the Green Monster, Martinez sustains a right-center approach that has led to 79 home runs in two years with the Red Sox.
Since leaving Houston in 2013, the Grade-A slugger has hit .307 with 207 home runs and posted a .954 OPS. He is one of the few challenging Nelson Cruz as the top power hitter in MLB.
4. Evan Longoria
He might be past his prime, but I’d still watch Evan Longoria swing a baseball bat any day of the week. He’s always been so smooth and effortless in the batter’s box, from his stand-up stance to his long, lean-back follow through. Everything about his swing is quiet, except for the part where he explodes through the hitting zone.
Longoria was among MLB’s most feared players during his time with Tampa Bay Rays. He won Rookie of the Year in 2008 and earned MVP votes in each of his first four seasons. He’s the Rays’ franchise leader in home runs, doubles, RBI, and total bases.
The man could hit, and he looked good doing it.
Of all the right-handed hitters in the history of the game, Longoria, along with the player that will soon top my countdown, were my favorite to imitate with a bat in my hands.