CHICAGO -- With Harrison Bader healed and Dexter Fowler healthy, the Cardinals once again find themselves with more deserving outfielders than space to place them. It’s one of the reasons why the club dispatched Tyler O’Neill to Memphis even though he has little left to prove there.
But as manager Mike Shildt makes his daily decision about who to fit where, one thing is becoming easier: Jose Martinez belongs as the everyday right fielder.
His bat created the opportunity, but Martinez’s defensive improvement has helped him seize it. On Saturday, he showed off his skills on both sides of the ball to help the Cardinals curtail the Cubs’ first scoring opportunity and snap their own 16-inning scoreless streak.
While it all finished as a footnote in the outcome – the Cubs used homers from Taylor Davis and Javier Baez to capture a 6-5 win at Wrigley Field -- it further supported the Cardinals’ move toward making Martinez a priority outfielder on this roster.
The defense has been a key part in that, too, as the biggest quandary with Martinez had long been how to minimize any negative impact in the field while maximizing his ability to do damage at the plate. There’s been tangible evidence, however, that his outfield play is improving.
Martinez added to it on Saturday when he came up firing in the first inning to throw out Kris Bryant trying to advance, first-to-third, on David Bote’s single, the third of the inning allowed by starter Michael Wacha. The throw traveled 201 feet on the fly, registering a maximum speed of 90.8 mph. Matt Carpenter made the catch and the tag to secure the inning’s final out.
“Right there on the money,” Wacha said afterward. “And a big-time out to get out of that inning.”
It was, according to Statcast, the second-hardest throw of Martinez’s career. The only one to register a higher velocity came back on April 15, but it did not result in an assist. The increased arm strength, Martinez believes, is a byproduct of shedding his first baseman’s glove this year.
He’s worked with outfield instructor Willie McGee to reset his arm slot and discard the throwing motion he picked up while in the infield. That, along with more repetition, has snowballed into growing confidence.
“It’s a good thing that I’m getting that confidence back,” Martinez said. “I’m actually going out there trying to make some plays.”
The Cubs were on notice after that first-inning throw, too. Javier Baez jokingly put his arm up as he stopped at second base on Bote’s fifth-inning single, a gesture to let Martinez know he had no intention of testing him again.
“He made a great throw on KB innings before,” Baez said. “I was saying that he didn't need to throw the ball hard. I wasn't going anywhere.”
Martinez’s Outs Above Average figure has climbed from negative-6 in 2018 to negative-1 this year. He’s also seen an improvement in catch probability added, which is now at negative-4 percent. It’s far from elite, but for a player some thought could only stick as a designated hitter, it’s a stepping stone.
“I think he’s been underappreciated for the job he’s done, even going back to last year,” Shildt said. “He’s made the routine play. That’s all we can ask. Is he going to have the occasional misplay? Well, they all are. He really hasn’t had many of those. It allows us to stay with him a little bit longer, trust him, of course. And it keeps his bat in the lineup as well.”
A reminder as to why that’s so important came only minutes after he threw out Bryant. On the first pitch of the second inning, Martinez blasted a 440-foot home run off Cubs starter Yu Darvish. It was, according to Statcast measurements, the longest home run of Martinez’s career.
Martinez then sparked a three-run fifth with a leadoff double, his fifth extra-base hit in in his past eight games.
He had one more chance to ignite the offense in the ninth, though that unraveled with an unexpected decision by home-plate umpire Larry Vanover not to grant Martinez time as he stepped in against Cubs closer Pedro Strop. Strop astutely threw a pitch as Martinez kept holding up his hand. Vanover called it a strike.
Martinez argued vigorously, as did Yadier Molina and Shildt in his defense. Eventually, Martinez had to refocus and step back in.
“My manager told me, ‘I need you in the game,’” Martinez said. “Of course, I was there. My body was there, but not my mind.”
Strop struck him out and retired the next two batters to close the game.