Jose Martinez, Outfield

Date of Birth: 7/25/1988
Birthplace: Vargas, Venezuela

Jose Martinez, outfielder, was first signed by the Chicago White Sox in 2006. In 2013, he signed with the Atlanta Braves. He played in the minor leagues from 2006 through 2015.

Martinez was acquired by the Kansas City Royals on November 6, 2015. He spent the entire 2015 season in the minors.

The Royals traded Martinez to the St. Louis Cardinals on May 25, 2016. He spent most of the 2016 season in the minors, playing in just 12 games with the Cardinals. In that short time in the majors, he batted .438 with 7 hits in 16 at-bats.

Martinez played in 106 games with the Cardinals in 2017. He finished the season with 84 hits, 13 doubles, 14 home runs, 46 RBIs, 60 strikeouts to 32 walks, and a .309 batting average. Defensively, he played 33 games at first base, 24 games in left field, and 17 games in right field.

Martinez had a strong 2018 season. He finished the season with 163 hits, 30 doubles, 104 strikeouts to 49 walks, and a .305 batting average in 152 games. Defensively, he played 84 games at first base and 46 games in right field.

Martinez finished the 2019 season with 90 hits, 42 RBIs, 82 strikeouts to 35 walks, and a .269 batting average in 128 games. Defensively, as a right fielder in 75 games, he made 103 putouts and 3 errors. In the postseason, he had 7 hits, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, 3 strikeouts to no walks, and a .538 batting average in 13 at-bats in 7 games.

The Cardinals traded Martinez to the Tampa Bay Rays on January 9, 2020. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs on August 30th. He finished the 2020 season with 16 hits and a .182 batting average in 24 games with the Rays and 10 games with the Cubs.

Martinez became a free agent on December 2, 2020. He signed with the New York Mets on January 14, 2021. He spent the 2021 season on the IL and in the minors. After the season ended, he played in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Martinez became a free agent on October 29, 2021.

Personal Life

Martinez is following in the footsteps of his father, Carlos, who was also an outfielder in major league baseball. Carlos played for the Chicago White Sox from 1988 through 1990, for the Cleveland Indians from 1991 through 1993, and for the Los Angeles Angels in 1995.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Jose Martinez
MiLB - Jose Martinez