Buck Martinez
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1969-1986)
Buck Martinez was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1986 for the Kansas City Royals, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Toronto Blue Jays, a span of 18 seasons. In 1,049 career games, he hit .225 with 618 hits, 58 home runs, and 321 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 190 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1969-06-18
- Last Game
- 1986-10-03
Full name: John Albert Martinez
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,049 | 2,743 | 245 | 618 | 128 | 10 | 58 | 321 | 5 | 230 | 419 | .225 | .284 | .343 | .627 | -5,100 |
Career AVG .225 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 12.7% below league average.
Career OBP .284 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 12.5% below league average.
Career SLG .343 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — 10.3% below league average.
Career OPS .627 vs. league average .706 across their career seasons — 11.3% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | KCA | AL | 72 | 205 | 14 | 47 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 23 | 0 | 8 | 25 | .229 | .248 (-8%) | .320 (-19%) | .369 (-11%) | .689 (-15%) | -518.5 |
| 1970 | KCA | AL | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .111 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1971 | KCA | AL | 22 | 46 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 9 | .152 | — | — | — | — | -266.7 |
| 1973 | KCA | AL | 14 | 32 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 5 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1974 | KCA | AL | 43 | 107 | 10 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 19 | .215 | .256 (-16%) | .324 (-2%) | .369 (-22%) | .693 (-12%) | -167.4 |
| 1975 | KCA | AL | 80 | 226 | 15 | 51 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 23 | 1 | 21 | 28 | .226 | .257 (-12%) | .327 (-10%) | .374 (-14%) | .701 (-12%) | -437.4 |
| 1976 | KCA | AL | 95 | 267 | 24 | 61 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 34 | 0 | 16 | 45 | .228 | .255 (-11%) | .320 (-16%) | .360 (-1%) | .681 (-8%) | -427.7 |
| 1977 | KCA | AL | 29 | 80 | 3 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 12 | .225 | .264 (-15%) | .329 (-23%) | .401 (-22%) | .730 (-23%) | -297.9 |
| 1978 | ML4 | AL | 89 | 256 | 26 | 56 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 14 | 42 | .219 | .257 (-15%) | .323 (-21%) | .378 (-27%) | .702 (-24%) | -1007.3 |
| 1979 | ML4 | AL | 69 | 196 | 17 | 53 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 26 | 0 | 8 | 25 | .270 | .265 (+2%) | .329 (-10%) | .397 (-6%) | .727 (-8%) | -286.8 |
| 1980 | ML4 | AL | 76 | 219 | 16 | 49 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 1 | 12 | 33 | .224 | .264 (-15%) | .326 (-18%) | .387 (-21%) | .714 (-20%) | -698.4 |
| 1981 | TOR | AL | 45 | 128 | 13 | 29 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 21 | 1 | 11 | 16 | .227 | .255 (-11%) | .320 (-10%) | .368 (+8%) | .688 (-1%) | -59.3 |
| 1982 | TOR | AL | 96 | 260 | 26 | 63 | 17 | 0 | 10 | 37 | 1 | 24 | 34 | .242 | .261 (-7%) | .324 (-7%) | .388 (+9%) | .712 (+2%) | -8.4 |
| 1983 | TOR | AL | 88 | 221 | 27 | 56 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 33 | 0 | 29 | 39 | .253 | .260 (-3%) | .324 (+4%) | .389 (+16%) | .714 (+11%) | 432.7 |
| 1984 | TOR | AL | 102 | 232 | 24 | 51 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 37 | 0 | 29 | 49 | .220 | .259 (-15%) | .322 (-7%) | .384 (-9%) | .707 (-8%) | -336.7 |
| 1985 | TOR | AL | 42 | 99 | 11 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 12 | .162 | .257 (-37%) | .323 (-26%) | .390 (-20%) | .714 (-23%) | -390.0 |
| 1986 | TOR | AL | 81 | 160 | 13 | 29 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 20 | 25 | .181 | .257 (-30%) | .325 (-17%) | .395 (-32%) | .720 (-25%) | -630.5 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 1,049 | 2,743 | 245 | 618 | 128 | 10 | 58 | 321 | 5 | 230 | 419 | .225 | — | — | — | — | -5,100 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | ML4 | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.00 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.00 | — | 0 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1050 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 516 | 1345 | 126 | 325 | 27 | 171 | .242 |
| Away | 533 | 1398 | 119 | 293 | 31 | 150 | .210 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9.00 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-10-03 | TOR | MIL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-10-01 | TOR | NYY | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1986-09-29 | TOR | NYY | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986-09-27 | TOR | BOS | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1986-09-25 | TOR | DET | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1986-09-14 | TOR | MIL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986-09-12 | TOR | MIL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-11 | TOR | NYY | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986-09-09 | TOR | NYY | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986-09-07 | TOR | CHW | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Last 1 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-08-29 | MIL | KCR | — | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1008 | 845 | 4038 | 396 | 70 | 59 |
| OF | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | KCA | C | 55 | 46 | 290 | 25 | 9 | 7 |
| 1969 | KCA | OF | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1970 | KCA | C | 5 | 3 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971 | KCA | C | 21 | 14 | 84 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 1973 | KCA | C | 14 | 10 | 52 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 1974 | KCA | C | 38 | 31 | 151 | 16 | 4 | 1 |
| 1975 | KCA | C | 79 | 70 | 361 | 39 | 8 | 4 |
| 1976 | KCA | C | 94 | 86 | 420 | 40 | 4 | 4 |
| 1977 | KCA | C | 28 | 22 | 133 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978 | ML4 | C | 89 | 85 | 327 | 32 | 8 | 7 |
| 1979 | ML4 | C | 68 | 67 | 198 | 39 | 8 | 2 |
| 1979 | ML4 | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | ML4 | C | 76 | 75 | 293 | 33 | 5 | 3 |
| 1981 | TOR | C | 45 | 43 | 192 | 22 | 2 | 3 |
| 1982 | TOR | C | 93 | 79 | 382 | 35 | 5 | 8 |
| 1983 | TOR | C | 85 | 69 | 331 | 25 | 4 | 3 |
| 1984 | TOR | C | 98 | 66 | 360 | 34 | 2 | 5 |
| 1985 | TOR | C | 42 | 32 | 155 | 16 | 2 | 5 |
| 1986 | TOR | C | 78 | 47 | 289 | 19 | 2 | 6 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 1 |
| Catcher | 1009 |
| Right Field | 1 |
| Designated Hitter | 2 |
Salary History
Buck Martinez's recorded salaries total $703,396 over 2 seasons, 1985 to 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Martinez's career ran from 1969 to 1986. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | TOR | AL | $347,096 |
| 1985 | TOR | AL | $356,300 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $703,396 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento City College | Sacramento | CA | 1967 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Buck Martinez (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Buck Martinez: the record in brief
Buck Martinez's major league career runs from a debut on June 18, 1969 to a final game on October 3, 1986. Club by club, the record runs the Kansas City Royals (1969 to 1977), the Milwaukee Brewers (1978 to 1980), and the Toronto Blue Jays (1981 through 1986). Martinez is listed as a catcher at 5 feet, 10 inches and 190 pounds. Martinez batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. The recorded birth is November 7, 1948, in Redding, CA, USA. Buck Martinez was the playing name; the full given name is John Albert.
In 1,049 games and 2,743 at bats, Martinez batted .225 with 618 hits, plus 58 homers and 321 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .284 clip and slugging .343, Martinez finished with a .627 OPS. Over the seasons Martinez played, league hitters batted .258; the .225 career figure is 12.7% below that. By OPS the gap is 11.3% below league average (.627 against .706). No season beat the 10 home runs Martinez hit in 1982.
Frequently Asked Questions about Buck Martinez
- What years did Buck Martinez play?
- Buck Martinez played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1986.
- Was Buck Martinez a pitcher?
- No. Buck Martinez was a position player (Catcher), though he did pitch in 1 career game.
- How many home runs did Buck Martinez hit?
- Buck Martinez hit 58 career home runs with 618 hits.
- What teams did Buck Martinez play for?
- Buck Martinez played for 3 teams: the Kansas City Royals (1969–1971, 1973–1977), the Milwaukee Brewers (1978–1980), and the Toronto Blue Jays (1981–1986).
- What were Buck Martinez's career stats?
- In 1,049 games, Buck Martinez had 618 hits, 58 home runs, 321 RBI, 245 runs, and 5 stolen bases, with a .225 batting average.
- How much did Buck Martinez earn in his career?
- Buck Martinez's recorded salaries total $703,396 over 2 seasons, 1985 to 1986. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Martinez's career ran from 1969 to 1986. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
- What was Buck Martinez's salary?
- Buck Martinez's last recorded salary was $347,096, in 1986. His highest recorded salary was $356,300, in 1985, and his lowest was $347,096, in 1986. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1986.
- What position did Buck Martinez play?
- Buck Martinez played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Buck Martinez and how much did he weigh?
- Buck Martinez was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 190 pounds.
- How many home runs did Buck Martinez hit each season?
- Buck Martinez's home runs by season: 4 in 1969, 0 in 1970, 0 in 1971, 1 in 1973, 1 in 1974, 3 in 1975, 5 in 1976, 1 in 1977, 1 in 1978, 4 in 1979, 3 in 1980, 4 in 1981, 10 in 1982, 10 in 1983, 5 in 1984, 4 in 1985, and 2 in 1986. His most in one season was 10, in 1982 and 1983.
- What was Buck Martinez's career batting average?
- Buck Martinez batted .225 over his career, with 618 hits in 2,743 at bats.
- How many RBI did Buck Martinez have?
- Buck Martinez drove in 321 runs in his career.
- What was Buck Martinez's career ERA?
- Buck Martinez finished with a 9.00 career ERA, going 0-0 with 0 strikeouts.
- Is Buck Martinez in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Buck Martinez has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.