J.D. Martinez to see plenty of outfield time for Boston Red Sox

The idea of seeing J.D. Martinez in the outfield is not anything new. The Boston Red Sox have typically given Martinez close to 40 appearances between left and right since he signed in Boston, keeping his bat in the lineup while other players get a partial day off as the designated hitter. Even if he is not necessarily a great defensive outfielder, Martinez has been decent enough where it is worth the trade-off to get his bat in the lineup.

Expect to see more of that in 2022. Manager Joey Cora has stated that Martinez is going to get more time in the outfield, primarily in right, during the upcoming season.

J.D. Martinez to spend more time in right for Boston Red Sox in 2022

Although Martinez has spent time in both left and right during his time in Boston, he has primarily been used in left. He has 61 appearances in right field since joining the Red Sox, with only 12 of those coming in the past two seasons. That does make sense considering that left is smaller in Fenway, but with the presence of Alex Verdugo, Cora feels more comfortable with Martinez in right at this point.

As far as the Red Sox are concerned, it is a matter of getting him in the lineup as much as possible. Martinez bounced back after a down year in 2020, producing a .286/.349/.518 batting line in his 634 plate appearances, hitting 28 homers and a major league leading 42 doubles. He is a proven run producer and someone that the Red Sox are going to need in the lineup.

That is especially going to be the case this season. The Blue Jays have drastically improved their roster and the Rays keep finding ways to win. The top of the American League is becoming more competitive. If the Red Sox are going to keep pace, they will need every bit of firepower that their lineup can produce. Martinez is a key part of that.

The Boston Red Sox plan on using J.D. Martinez in the outfield more in 2022. It is a good way to make certain his bat is in the lineup as much as possible.