J. D. Martinez

J. D. Martinez

Martinez with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers – No. 28
Outfielder
Born: (1987-08-21) August 21, 1987
Miami, Florida
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
July 30, 2011, for the Houston Astros
MLB statistics
(through 2016 season)
Batting average .281
Hits 673
Home runs 107
Runs batted in 372
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Julio Daniel "J. D." Martinez (born August 21, 1987) is an American professional baseball right fielder for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has also played in MLB for the Houston Astros. Martinez is of Cuban descent.

Career

Martinez was drafted out of Flanagan High School in 2006 by the Minnesota Twins in the 36th round, 1086th overall, but he ended up going to college. He grew up a Florida Marlins fan. Martinez went to Nova Southeastern University, where from 2007–2009, he was a two-time All-Sunshine State Conference baseball player.[1]

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros selected Martinez in the 20th round, with the 611th overall selection, of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He was signed by Greg Brown who is now the head coach at NSU.[2] He became the first player drafted out of Nova Southeastern University to debut in Major League baseball.

Martinez batting for the Houston Astros in 2012

Martinez started his professional career with the Greeneville Astros of the Rookie-level Appalachian League, where he batted .403 before earning a promotion to the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Class A-Short Season New York–Penn League. He started the 2010 season with Lexington Legends of the Class A South Atlantic League, where he earned a mid-season promotion to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Class AA Texas League. He started the 2011 season with Corpus Christi before earning a promotion to the big leagues.

On July 30, 2011, Martinez was called up to replace Hunter Pence, who was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.[3] He became the first player drafted out of Nova Southeastern University to debut in Major League baseball.

On April 13, 2012, Martinez hit the first ever home run in the new Marlins Park. With a man on in the eighth, he deposited an Edward Mujica offering into the Clevelander bar beyond the left-field wall for a game-tying blast.[4]

Martinez was outrighted off the Astros roster on November 20, 2013.[5] He was released on March 22, 2014.[6]

Detroit Tigers

2014 season

J.D. Martinez during the 2014 season.

On March 24, 2014 the Detroit Tigers signed Martinez to a minor league contract.[7] After hitting 10 home runs with 22 runs batted in over his first 17 games with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers purchased his contract, and he was called up and played his first game on April 21.[8]

Martinez was awarded the MLB Player of the Week Award for the period ending June 22, 2014. Martinez batted .444 (12-for-27) with three doubles, four home runs (including one grand slam), 11 RBIs and six runs scored in seven games to win his first career weekly honor.[9] Martinez was named the Detroit Tigers' player of the month for June. Martinez batted .345 with nine doubles, seven home runs and 21 RBIs in the month of June, including a career-high 14 game hit streak. Martinez was tied for third in the American League in home runs during June.[10] Martinez finished the regular season with 30 doubles, 23 home runs, 76 RBIs, and a .315 batting average.

On October 3, during Game 2 of the 2014 ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles, Martinez became the first player in Tigers history to homer in each of his first two career postseason games, and the 16th player in Major League history.[11] Martinez finished the postseason with one double, two home runs, and five RBIs in three games.

2015 season

On January 16, 2015, Martinez and the Tigers avoided arbitration when the two parties agreed on a one-year, $3 million contract for the 2015 season.[12]

On June 21, 2015, Martinez hit three home runs and had six RBIs in a game against the New York Yankees, becoming the first Tigers player to do so since Miguel Cabrera did it in May 2013.[13]

Martinez was awarded the AL Player of the Week award for the period ending July 5, 2015. Martinez batted .458 (11 for 24) with six runs scored, four home runs, one double, and 10 RBIs in six games to win his second career weekly honor. He paced the Majors in slugging percentage (1.000) and total bases (24), and finished tied for first in home runs. Among AL leaders, he finished tied for first in on-base percentage (.500), second in RBI, third in batting average, tied for third in hits and tied for fourth in runs scored.[14] On July 6, 2015, Martinez was named as a reserve for the American League at the 2015 All-Star Game.[15]

Following the 2015 season, Martinez was awarded his first career Silver Slugger Award. He finished the season with a .282 batting average, and reached career highs of 33 doubles, 38 home runs and 102 RBI. His 38 home runs marked the third-highest total by a Tigers outfielder, trailing only Rocky Colavito's 45 in 1961 and Hank Greenberg's 41 in 1940. Martinez's 102 RBIs marked the most by a Tiger outfielder since Magglio Ordóñez drove in 103 in 2008. Martinez's 319 total bases ranked fifth among all AL hitters. His 109 runs created ranked eighth, and his .897 OPS ranked ninth. He was named the 2015 Tiger of the Year by the Detroit chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.[16]

He was also a finalist for his first Gold Glove Award in right field, but lost to Kole Calhoun of the Angels.[17] His 15 outfield assists ranked second in the AL, his .993 fielding percentage led all AL right fielders, and his 7.7 ultimate zone rating ranked second among AL right fielders.[18]

2016 season

On February 8, 2016, the Tigers signed Martinez to a two-year, $18.5 million contract extension.[19]

Martinez was placed on the 15-day disabled list after a June 16 game against the Kansas City Royals, having suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right elbow caused by running into the outfield wall. At the time of the injury, Martinez was hitting .286 with 12 home runs and 39 RBI.[20]

On August 3 against the Chicago White Sox, in his first game after being activated from the disabled list, Martinez hit a pinch-hit game-winning solo home run off Chris Sale on the first pitch of the at-bat. Martinez played 120 games in the injury-shortened 2016 season, and hit .307 with 22 home runs and 68 RBI.

Awards

References

  1. ↑ Capobianco, Tony (April 10, 2014). "Former Flanagan High player J.D. Martinez regroups after signing minor-league deal with Detroit Tigers". Miami Herald.
  2. ↑ "J.D. Martinez Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  3. ↑ Powling, Joshua (July 30, 2011). "J.D. Martinez On His Way To Houston". SB Nation. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Hometown kid Martinez hits first ever Marlins Park homer". Sun-Sentinel.
  5. ↑ Adams, Steve (November 20, 2013). "Astros Claim Ryan Jackson, Outright J.D. Martinez". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  6. ↑ McTaggart, Brian (March 22, 2014). "Astros release struggling outfielder Martinez". MLB.com. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Tigers sign Martinez to Minors deal, add outfield depth". MLB.com. March 24, 2014.
  8. ↑ Putkonen to DL as Tigers call up J.D. Martinez MLB.com, April 21, 2014
  9. ↑ J.D. Martinez of the Detroit Tigers named the American League Player of the Week MLB.com, June 23, 2014
  10. ↑ "J.D. Martinez named Tigers player of the month". WXYZ.com. July 2, 2014.
  11. ↑ Berry, Adam (October 3, 2014). "Tigers go back-to-back in second straight game". MLB.com.
  12. ↑ Henning, Lynn (January 16, 2015). "Tigers avoid arbitration with Price, Simon, J.D. Martinez". The Detroit News. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  13. ↑ Raynor, Grace; Woods, Alden (June 21, 2015). "J.D. blasts three HRs as Tigers rout Yanks". MLB.com. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  14. ↑ "J.D. Martinez of the Detroit Tigers named American League Player of the Week". MLB.com. July 6, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  15. ↑ Beck, Jason (July 6, 2015). "Iglesias, J.D. Martinez, Price join Miggy as All-Stars". MLB.com. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  16. ↑ Beck, Jason (November 12, 2015). "J.D. Martinez honored as Tiger of Year". MLB.com. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Finalists for Gold Gloves unveiled". MLB.com. October 29, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  18. ↑ Beck, Jason (November 12, 2015). "Miggy, J.D. Martinez claim Silver Sluggers". MLB.com. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  19. ↑ Beck, Jason (February 8, 2016). "Tigers, J.D. come to 2-year agreement". MLB.com. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  20. ↑ Todd, Jeff (June 16, 2016). "J.D. Martinez To DL With Fractured Bone In Elbow". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
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