Diamondbacks: What is J.D. Martinez’s fantasy value for 2018?

With the 2017 baseball season coming to a close, let’s start to take a look at next year. The first player with an intriguing outlook is Diamondbacks outfielder J.D. Martinez.

The Arizona Diamondbacks made a huge trade at the deadline by acquiring outfielder J.D. Martinez. He has single-handedly helped propel the D’Backs into the top Wild Card spot. However, he is a free agent at the end of the season. What will his value be for 2018?

Entering this season, he was a seventh-round pick in ESPN leagues after playing in just 120 games in 2016. Not bad but compared to what he’s done this season, that was a steal for whoever drafted him.

With both the Detroit Tigers and Diamondbacks, Martinez has a .297 average with 40 home runs, 90 RBI and 78 runs scored. He also has a .374 on-base percentage with 50 walks and 115 strikeouts.

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Martinez was more of a contact hitter in Detroit. The move to Arizona helped him improve his power numbers. In just 50 games, he has 23 homers and still hitting .290.

Chase Field ranks fourth in home runs according to the ESPN Park Factors. Comerica Park is eighth. It also helps that he has a better supporting cast in Arizona.

However, this Martinez-Diamondbacks experiment may only last a couple of more weeks. While he has mentioned he would like to stay with the Diamondbacks, that’s not his decision to make.

If Martinez lands in San Diego or San Francisco, I would have to drop his projected home run total by about eight. He could go pretty much anywhere else and still be drafted as a top-20 outfielder. Heck, he could be in the top 10 with that power and contact combination.

Martinez wasn’t much of anything in his first three years with the Houston Astros. It wasn’t until he moved to Detroit that we got to see what kind of player Martinez is.

In his three and a half years, he hit .300 with 99 home runs and 285 RBI. The power grew as time went on. Martinez hit .282 with 38 home runs and 102 RBI in 2015. That is where the legend of Martinez began.

Next: Jason Kipnis...the Outfielder?

Martinez ranks 46th on the Player Rater, making him a fifth-round pick if all of the players ahead of him are drafted. Realistically, Martinez could be a fourth-round pick. With the potential for another 40-home run season and .300 average, he is a rare talent that could be the top outfielder at the end of 2018.