CHICAGO — As somebody who has appeared in the postseason with four different teams and won a championship, J.D. Martinez brings a perspective to the Mets clubhouse to which few others can relate.
Rule No. 1 for Martinez, especially at this late juncture of the season: block out the outside noise.
“It’s easy for guys to kind of get caught up looking at the standings,” Martinez said before the Mets faced the White Sox on Saturday. “The one thing I preach is let the media and fans look at that. Let’s just keep focusing on us and whatever happens, happens.”
The 37-year-old Martinez’s résumé includes postseason appearances with the Tigers, Diamondbacks, Red Sox and Dodgers.
The highlight was a World Series title with the Red Sox in 2018.
Now, he’s trying to help keep the Mets’ dreams alive for this season.
Despite a solid road trip, in which the Mets had won five of eight games entering play Saturday, they still trailed Atlanta by three lengths for the National League’s third wild card.
“By us looking at the standings, [it] isn’t going to make us win more,” Martinez said. “By us peeking over at the standings, [it] isn’t going to make us play any better. We are going to play better by going out there and playing free and not putting any pressure on ourselves and going out there and just enjoying it.”
Martinez’s recent uptick in performance has been a welcome sight for a lineup that has largely been carried by Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos in the second half.
Martinez blasted a two-run homer in the 5-1 victory over the White Sox on Friday and was 8-for-20 (.400) over his last five games as play began.
For the season, Martinez owned a .256/.337/.448 slash line with 16 homers and 65 RBIs.
The Mets endured gut-punch losses on Sunday and Wednesday.
In both instances, Edwin Diaz surrendered a late home run that led to defeat.
As deflating as such losses can be, Martinez said part of his job as a veteran is to remind his teammates the sky isn’t falling.
“It’s one of those things where you have to remind guys: ‘Who cares we lost?’” Martinez said. “We want to win, we gave it everything we have got, and we lost. It happens. We’re going to lose again. We’re probably going to lose again after that. That is part of playing the game.”
The Mets had a 19.9 percent chance of reaching the postseason, according to Fangraphs, when play began Saturday.
Delivering insights on all things Amazin’s
Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+
Thank you
Part of that equation is the difficult schedule the Mets will face for much of September, which includes seven games remaining against the NL East-leading Phillies.
The Mets will also have a potentially crucial three-game series in Atlanta in the final week of the regular season.
If there’s been a consistency to Martinez’s message, it’s the Mets have been the underdogs all season.
“I have told them over and over: ‘Guys, we’re not supposed to be here.’ I keep going back to this story, but at the beginning of the year nobody expected us to be anywhere near the playoffs. Here we are, in the thick of it.”
