There’s a case for J.D. Martinez for the American League’s Most Valuable Player that has nothing to do with the Triple Crown — though it may be dismissed by those on the analytical side, anyway.



Let me be clear: I do not think Martinez should necessarily win the award. His Red Sox teammate, Mookie Betts, offers perhaps the most convincing statistical profile, and a number of other candidates — Mike Trout, José Ramírez and Alex Bregman; Francisco Lindor, Matt Chapman and Khris Davis — warrant consideration.



Martinez, though, is superior to those players in an important aspect of the game, one that cannot be quantified but one which, I would argue, helps compensate for his lack of defensive and base-running value.



He makes his teammates better.



Take it from Sox left-hander David Price, who last month offered a curious but intriguing assessment, saying Betts is the league MVP but Martinez is the Red Sox...