After the Dodgers’ star player, Mookie Betts, posted a concerning OPS+ of 88, he knew he needed to stir things up. And so, he did. Last weekend, Betts reached out to former teammate J.D. Martinez, who’d played with him on the Dodgers and Red Sox, for some help. Growth’s been slow, but Betts has started showing up in his last three games: six hits in 16 at-bats (.375) with three big hits. Martinez helped Betts break out of his major slump this season. Now, could Martinez’s magic work for the Mets, too?

Two reasons make this idea worth discussing: the Mets are hitting a rough patch, and the MLB scene thinks Martinez might be the answer to alleviating those difficulties, just like he was for Betts. The Mets have scored fewer than three runs in six of their last nine games. Over their past three games (all losses), they’ve managed just 10 hits. In fact, they have fallen to the third position in the National League Wild Card standings.

The solution to this slump, says NY Post Sports’ Jon Heyman, is the six-time All-Star Martinez. “Mets should hire JD Martinez as a hitting consultant. Vientos and others would benefit from his vast knowledge,” said Heyman in a recent X post. Heyman’s suggestion isn’t entirely out of place, and there are plenty of reasons to believe that the “Martinez Effect” could be useful for the struggling Mets. 

The 2018 World Series champ brought big-time leadership to the Mets last season, even with a modest .235 batting average and .725 OPS. He played mentor extraordinaire to Mark Vientos, who crushed 27 bombs in 2024, putting up a sizzling .266/.322/.516/.838 line in 111 games. But after that hot year, Vientos’ offense has cooled off big time in the current season: a .365 slugging pct and .641 OPS in 81 games.

Even top players like Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso (New York’s steadiest performer this season), and Brandon Nimmo could tap into the savvy of this veteran DH/outfielder. So, yes, Martinez can come in handy for the team again. Now, whether Martinez wants to step into that role is up to him, especially since he’s reportedly got his sights set on a pickleball court.

On the other hand, despite the current challenges facing the Mets, David Stearns, President of Baseball Operations for the Mets, remains positive about the team’s ability to recover from this slump pretty soon.

David Stearns confident about Mets’ internal team

The Mets’ president of baseball operations voiced disappointment about the team’s recent offensive woes but conveyed faith that the slump will be short-lived. Before the Mets suffered a 3-2 defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers, Stearns stated, “Clearly everyone’s frustrated… But I believe that this is a good offensive team.” New York has fallen 3 1/2 games behind league-leading Philadelphia in the NL East but stays 3 1/2 games ahead of Cincinnati for the final National League wild card spot.

A comparison of 2025 and 2024 stats reveals a drop-off in production. This season, the Mets are 15th in runs (501), 23rd in batting average (.239), 15th in on-base percentage (.318), 14th in slugging percentage (.404), and 13th in OPS (.722). Last year, they ranked seventh in runs (768), 12th in batting average (.246), eighth in on-base percentage (.319), 10th in slugging percentage (.415), and ninth in OPS (.734), clinching a wild-card playoff spot and advancing to the NLCS.

Top performers like Lindor, Soto, and Pete Alonso were anticipated to post stronger numbers. Stearns backed hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes, saying, “I have confidence in our hitting coaches.” Players like Starling Marte are optimistic about the team’s capacity to rebound. Marte said, “Right now, we’re hitting a low point in the season, but I know and I’m confident that this team’s going to be able to turn it around.” Manager Carlos Mendoza commented, “They’re really good players and they’ve done it before.”

Stearns highlighted the team’s work ethic and concentration despite current struggles. “I think you go through our clubhouse… you’re probably not sensing panic,” he said. “When I see those things, it gives me confidence that we’re going to snap out of this.” With players like Lindor, Soto, and Alonso, the Mets foresee a turnaround from their present slump. Will that happen? Well, that’s for the future to decide.