Pedro Martinez sounds off on Yankees, says ‘energy level is down’

Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez criticized the Yankees on Wednesday night while on the MLB Network set.

MIAMI— Hall of Famer pitcher Pedro Martinez watched this week’s Yankees-Marlins series at Marlins Park from the MLB Network set in New Jersey.

He wasn’t impressed.

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He didn’t like what he saw from the Yankees on Tuesday night when they won 2-1 in 12 innings and he didn’t like what he saw Wednesday night when they lost 9-3.

Always opinionated, Pedro went on a five-minute rant after Wednesday’s game on MLB Tonight that the Yankees aren’t playing with energy.

“What I’m seeing lately, especially here in this Marlins series, it’s not the Yankees I’m accustomed to seeing,” Martinez said while talking baseball with a panel that included host Greg Amsinger and fellow analyst Harold Reynolds. “Now that I am in the middle of the Red Sox and Yankees (as a TV analyst), I was actually really excited about seeing this, but now the Red Sox have kind of taken off and going away from the Yankees and it seems like the energy level kind of came down a little bit.”

Somebody need to remind Pedro that the Yankees aren’t the same team with Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius, CC Sabathia and Aroldis Chapman all on the disabled list.

This was the second day in a row that Martinez criticized the Yankees, whose 79-47 record is second best in the majors to the Red Sox’ 89-39 mark.

The way Pedro sees it, the Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals and Red Sox all are playing with a passion that the Yankees are missing.

“The Oakland A’s are the prime example of a team with energy,” Pedro said “Young, supposedly a team that’s supposed to be there in two more years … they remind me a lot of the (2017) Houston Astros. There they were, World Series champions.”

When Amsinger said a lot of Yankees fans won’t like these comments, Pedro didn’t back down.

“I’m not irresponsible for saying what I’m saying,” Martinez said. “I’m being honest and anybody out there can go ahead and criticize me as much as they want. But what I’m saying is the energy is see from teams that win a World Series and win a postseason spot, it’s different from what I’m seeing from the Yankees right now.”

Martinez was a big rival to the Yankees when he played for the Red Sox, but he tried hard to make it clear that his opinions are just based on what he’s seeing and feeling from watching games.

“People really think I hate the Yankees,” Pedro said. “I don’t. I went to extremes when I was in A-ball. I paid $250 that I made in a month in A-ball to play for the Dodgers for a Reggie Jackson signed ball. I also was a fan. I was also a kid. I loved the Yankees. I loved Rickey Henderson. I loved Reggie Jackson.

“People don’t realize that because I’m sitting here and I’m a Hall of Famer and I was a baseball player and I competed the way l competed that I don’t hate the Yankees. I don’t. I love baseball and I love the fans that go to the game that boo you or cheer you.

“People I think, especially media members in New York and Boston sometimes are too sensitive. I think they’re too sensitive. I’m totally transparent. And if I don’t see the energy in the Yankees, it’s my own opinion. I’m sorry guys. I’m not going to back off what I said. It’s my own experience that’s telling me, experience that I lived, that I don’t see the energy in the Yankees.”

Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.