Victor Martinez, baseball player, 246 home runs, 2002-2018

Victor Martinez

Born: 12/23/1978 in Ciudad Bolivar, Bolívar, Venezuela

MLB Debut: 2002-09-10 | Final Game: 2018-09-22

Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 235 lbs

Full name: Victor Jesus Martinez

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Biography

Victor Martinez was a prominent figure in Major League Baseball, known for his exceptional hitting prowess and versatility as a position player. Born in 1978, he played from 2002 to 2018, amassing a career total of 1,973 games. Over his 16-year career, Martinez recorded 2,153 hits, 246 home runs, and 1,178 RBIs, finishing with an impressive batting average of .295. His offensive skills were complemented by a solid understanding of the game, making him a reliable player in clutch situations. Throughout his career, he was selected as an All-Star five times, highlighting his status as one of the elite hitters of his era. Martinez's career unfolded during a period marked by offensive explosion in baseball, where hitters sought to take advantage of more favorable hitting conditions. He was known for his disciplined approach at the plate, combining power with a keen eye for pitches, which contributed to his high batting average and run production. As a switch-hitter, he provided flexibility and a unique challenge for opposing pitchers. His contributions to teams like the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians cemented his legacy as a key player in the landscape of 21st-century baseball. Ultimately, Martinez left an indelible mark on the game, celebrated for both his achievements and his sportsmanship.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1973 7297 914 2153 423 3 246 1178 7 730 891 0.295 0.360 0.455 0.815 16091.3

Career AVG .295 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — +13.8% above league average.

Career OBP .360 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — +10.1% above league average.

Career SLG .455 vs. league average .414 across their career seasons — +10.0% above league average.

Career OPS 0.815 vs. league average 0.740 across their career seasons — +10.0% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
2002 CLE AL 12 32 2 9 1 0 1 5 0 3 2 0.281 — — — — 0.0
2003 CLE AL 49 159 15 46 4 0 1 16 1 13 21 0.289 .264 (+9%) .332 (+4%) .422 (-21%) .754 (-10%) -241.6
2004 CLE AL 141 520 77 147 38 1 23 108 0 60 69 0.283 .266 (+6%) .335 (+7%) .427 (+15%) .762 (+12%) 1257.2
2005 CLE AL 147 547 73 167 33 0 20 80 0 63 78 0.305 .264 (+15%) .330 (+14%) .418 (+13%) .749 (+14%) 1701.3
2006 CLE AL 153 572 82 181 37 0 16 93 0 71 78 0.316 .269 (+17%) .336 (+16%) .431 (+8%) .768 (+11%) 1605.0
2007 CLE AL 147 562 78 169 40 0 25 114 0 62 76 0.301 .268 (+12%) .335 (+11%) .422 (+20%) .758 (+16%) 1901.0
2008 CLE AL 73 266 30 74 17 0 2 35 0 24 32 0.278 .263 (+5%) .333 (+1%) .416 (-12%) .749 (-6%) -298.1
2009 CLE AL 99 377 56 107 21 1 15 67 0 51 51 0.284 .262 (+8%) .332 (+10%) .417 (+11%) .750 (+11%) 858.0
2009 BOS AL 56 211 32 71 12 0 8 41 1 24 23 0.336 .262 (+28%) .332 (+22%) .417 (+21%) .750 (+22%) 858.0
2010 BOS AL 127 493 64 149 32 1 20 79 1 40 52 0.302 .257 (+17%) .325 (+8%) .402 (+22%) .728 (+16%) 1449.9
2011 DET AL 145 540 76 178 40 0 12 103 1 46 51 0.330 .255 (+29%) .320 (+18%) .399 (+18%) .719 (+18%) 1988.0
2013 DET AL 159 605 68 182 36 0 14 83 0 54 62 0.301 .253 (+19%) .317 (+12%) .396 (+8%) .714 (+10%) 1240.7
2014 DET AL 151 561 87 188 33 0 32 103 3 70 42 0.335 .251 (+33%) .313 (+30%) .386 (+46%) .700 (+39%) 4497.2
2015 DET AL 120 440 39 108 20 0 11 64 0 31 52 0.245 .254 (-4%) .316 (-5%) .404 (-10%) .721 (-8%) -659.8
2016 DET AL 154 553 65 160 22 0 27 86 0 50 90 0.289 .255 (+13%) .321 (+9%) .417 (+14%) .738 (+12%) 1417.2
2017 DET AL 107 392 38 100 16 0 10 47 0 36 63 0.255 .254 (avg) .324 (avg) .425 (-13%) .750 (-7%) -475.6
2018 DET AL 133 467 32 117 21 0 9 54 0 32 49 0.251 .247 (+1%) .318 (-7%) .409 (-14%) .727 (-11%) -1033.5

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
39 149 22 47 8 1 6 22 11 23 0.315

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2014 ALDS2 DET 3 12 3 4 2 0 1 3 0 4 0.333
2013 ALCS DET 6 22 4 8 2 0 0 3 1 1 0.364
2013 ALDS2 DET 5 20 5 9 2 0 1 2 0 2 0.450
2011 ALCS DET 6 22 3 6 0 1 1 2 3 1 0.273
2011 ALDS1 DET 5 18 1 4 0 0 1 3 2 5 0.222
2009 ALDS2 BOS 3 11 0 2 0 0 0 2 1 2 0.182
2007 ALCS CLE 7 27 4 8 1 0 1 3 3 5 0.296
2007 ALDS2 CLE 4 17 2 6 1 0 1 4 1 3 0.353

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 214 196 1513 101 11 155
C 858 828 5375 347 42 43

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
2002 CLE C 9 7 55 2 1 0
2003 CLE C 40 40 231 23 1 2
2004 CLE C 132 124 865 61 6 11
2005 CLE C 142 139 904 58 5 6
2006 CLE 1B 22 19 149 5 0 15
2006 CLE C 133 127 753 45 8 7
2007 CLE 1B 30 24 187 13 1 18
2007 CLE C 121 118 779 53 4 8
2008 CLE 1B 10 9 82 4 1 9
2008 CLE C 55 54 328 16 3 1
2009 CLE 1B 47 44 348 17 3 41
2009 CLE C 52 51 285 14 0 2
2009 BOS 1B 23 22 160 3 0 14
2009 BOS C 33 31 215 8 4 1
2010 BOS 1B 14 12 95 14 2 10
2010 BOS C 110 106 778 44 6 2
2011 DET 1B 6 6 38 10 0 4
2011 DET C 26 26 141 17 2 3
2013 DET 1B 11 11 85 14 0 3
2013 DET C 3 3 18 4 0 0
2014 DET 1B 35 33 251 16 3 24
2014 DET C 2 2 23 2 2 0
2015 DET 1B 10 10 81 5 1 13
2016 DET 1B 5 5 36 0 0 4
2018 DET 1B 1 1 1 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 858
First Base 214
Designated Hitter 869

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2016 Player of the Week Week of 2016-04-30
2014 Outstanding DH Award
2014 Player of the Month August
2014 Silver Slugger DH
2011 Player of the Week Week of 2011-05-15
2005 Player of the Week Week of 2005-08-27
2004 Player of the Week Week of 2004-07-17
2004 Player of the Week Week of 2004-05-15
2004 Silver Slugger C

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2016 DET AL $18,000,000
2015 DET AL $14,000,000
2014 DET AL $12,000,000
2013 DET AL $13,000,000
2012 DET AL $13,000,000
2011 DET AL $12,000,000
2010 BOS AL $7,700,000
2009 CLE AL $5,900,000
2008 CLE AL $4,450,000
2007 CLE AL $3,200,000
2006 CLE AL $1,000,000
2005 CLE AL $372,100
2004 CLE AL $304,500
Total Career Earnings $104,926,600

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2014 Most Valuable Player AL 2nd 229.0 420 0
2011 Most Valuable Player AL 15th 7.0 392 0
2009 Most Valuable Player AL 21th 4.0 392 0
2007 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 103.0 392 0
2005 Most Valuable Player AL 18th 5.0 392 0
2004 Most Valuable Player AL 21th 4.0 392 0