Victor Martinez, Retired

Date of Birth: 12/23/1978
Birthplace: Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela

Victor Martinez was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1996. He played in the minor leagues for several years and after winning back-to-back MVP awards and batting titles in the minors in 2000 and 2001, Martinez got his chance with the Indians in September, 2002. In 12 games that month, he batted .281 with 9 hits. The following season, Martinez played in 49 games with the Indians. He played in the minor leagues for the rest of the season. His batting average with the Indians in 2003 was .289 with 46 hits.

Martinez's first full season with the Indians, 2004, was also his first season as the starting catcher for the team. His batting average that year was .283, with 147 hits, 38 doubles, and 20 home runs. He won a Silver Slugger award for his batting successes that season.

Although Martinez played well for the Indians, they traded him at the end of July, 2009 to the Boston Red Sox. He stayed with the Red Sox through the 2010 season. In November, 2010, Martinez signed a four-year, $50 million contract with the Detroit Tigers to be their designated hitter. He missed all of the 2012 season due to injuries. In 2013, he had 182 hits in 159 games. He batted .301 with 36 doubles, 14 home runs, and 83 RBIs.

Martinez had an outstanding 2014 season, batting a career high .335, the second highest batting average in both the American League and major league baseball. He had a career high 188 hits, 33 doubles, a career high 32 home runs, and 103 RBIs in 151 games. His postseason numbers were just as good, with a .333 batting average and 4 hits, including 2 doubles and a home run, and 3 RBIs in 12 at-bats in 3 games. He won his second Silver Slugger award for his 2014 batting achievements.

On November 12, 2014, Martinez signed a four-year, $68 million contract with the Tigers. He spent time on the DL with a knee injury in 2015. He finished the season with 108 hits, 20 doubles, 64 RBIs, and a .245 batting average in 120 games.

Martinez had a strong 2016 season, finishing with a .289 batting average. In 154 games, he had 160 hits, 22 doubles, 27 home runs, and 86 RBIs.

Martinez spent time on the DL in 2017, playing in just 107 games with the Tigers. He finished the season with a .255 batting average, 100 hits, 16 doubles, 47 RBIs, and 63 strikeouts to 36 walks. He was a DH for the Tigers in 2017.

Martinez finished the 2018 season with 117 hits, 21 doubles, 54 RBIs, 49 strikeouts to 32 walks, and a .251 batting average in 133 games.

Martinez retired as a major league player on September 22, 2018.

Statistics for Martinez in sixteen seasons in the major leagues include:

• 8 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .335 in 2014
• 8 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 188 in 2014
• 9 seasons with over 30 doubles, with a high of 40 in 2007
• 7 seasons with 20 or more home runs, with a high of 32 in 2014
• 5 seasons with over 100 RBIs, with a high of 114 in 2007

Career batting statistics for Martinez through 2018 include:

• 1,973 games played
• 2,153 hits
• 423 doubles
• 246 home runs
• 1,178 RBIs
• 891 strikeouts to 730 walks
• .295 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Martinez as a catcher through 2018 include:

• 858 games played
• 347 assists
• 5,375 putouts
• 42 errors
• .235 caught stealing percentage
• .993 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Victor Martinez
ESPN Sports - Victor Martinez