The Mets are bringing back an old friend.
The club announced on Tuesday the hiring of six-time All-Star J.D. Martinez as a special assistant to baseball operations.
Martinez, 38, last played in the Majors with the Mets in 2024. He slashed .235/.320/.406 in 120 regular-season games, while providing key veteran leadership amid New York’s surprise run to the National League Championship Series.
Throughout an accomplished big league career, Martinez developed a reputation as a hitting savant, with former Mets teammate Jake Diekman once calling Martinez “the smartest hitter ever.” Originally selected in the 20th round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Astros, Martinez overhauled his swing to embrace baseball’s fly-ball revolution, becoming one of the elite power hitters of his era. A three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Martinez hit 331 home runs with an .863 OPS in parts of 14 seasons in the Majors.