Victor Martinez
Designated Hitter · Career Stats, Bio & Records (2002-2018)
Victor Martinez was a designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball from 2002 to 2018 for the Cleveland Guardians, the Boston Red Sox, and the Detroit Tigers, a span of 17 seasons. In 1,973 career games, he hit .295 with 2,153 hits, 246 home runs, and 1,178 RBI. Victor Martinez was a 5-time All-Star and a 2-time Silver Slugger. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 16,550.
- 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
- Designated Hitter
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 235 lb
- MLB Debut
- 2002-09-10
- Last Game
- 2018-09-22
- Awards
- 5× All-Star · 2× Silver Slugger
Full name: Victor Jesus Martinez
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,973 | 7,297 | 914 | 2,153 | 423 | 3 | 246 | 1,178 | 7 | 730 | 891 | .295 | .360 | .455 | .815 | 16,550 |
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 .815 vs. league average .740 across their career seasons — +10.0% above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | CLE | AL | 12 | 32 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | .281 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2003 | CLE | AL | 49 | 159 | 15 | 46 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 13 | 21 | .289 | .264 (+9%) | .332 (+4%) | .422 (-21%) | .754 (-10%) | -221.5 |
| 2004 | CLE | AL | 141 | 520 | 77 | 147 | 38 | 1 | 23 | 108 | 0 | 60 | 69 | .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 | .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 | .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 | .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 | .278 | .263 (+5%) | .333 (+1%) | .416 (-12%) | .749 (-6%) | -262.6 |
| 2009 | CLE | AL | 99 | 377 | 56 | 107 | 21 | 1 | 15 | 67 | 0 | 51 | 51 | .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 | .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 | .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 | .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 | .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 | .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 | .245 | .254 (-4%) | .316 (-5%) | .404 (-10%) | .721 (-8%) | -539.8 |
| 2016 | DET | AL | 154 | 553 | 65 | 160 | 22 | 0 | 27 | 86 | 0 | 50 | 90 | .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 | .255 | .254 (avg) | .324 (avg) | .425 (-13%) | .750 (-7%) | -397.0 |
| 2018 | DET | AL | 133 | 467 | 32 | 117 | 21 | 0 | 9 | 54 | 0 | 32 | 49 | .251 | .247 (+1%) | .318 (-7%) | .409 (-14%) | .727 (-11%) | -829.2 |
| Career · 17 seasons | 1,973 | 7,297 | 914 | 2,153 | 423 | 3 | 246 | 1,178 | 7 | 730 | 891 | .295 | — | — | — | — | 16,523 | ||
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.
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 | .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 | .333 |
| 2013 | ALCS | DET | 6 | 22 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | .364 |
| 2013 | ALDS2 | DET | 5 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .450 |
| 2011 | ALCS | DET | 6 | 22 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | .273 |
| 2011 | ALDS1 | DET | 5 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | .222 |
| 2009 | ALDS2 | BOS | 3 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .182 |
| 2007 | ALCS | CLE | 7 | 27 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | .296 |
| 2007 | ALDS2 | CLE | 4 | 17 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .353 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1973 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 984 | 3563 | 449 | 1039 | 106 | 570 | .292 |
| Away | 989 | 3734 | 465 | 1114 | 140 | 608 | .298 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-09-22 | DET | KCR | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-09-21 | DET | KCR | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2018-09-20 | DET | KCR | W | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-09-18 | DET | MIN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2018-09-17 | DET | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018-09-15 | DET | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-09-14 | DET | CLE | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-09-11 | DET | HOU | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018-09-10 | DET | HOU | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2018-09-08 | DET | STL | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
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
Circle size = games played at each 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
Victor Martinez's recorded salaries total $104,926,600 over 13 seasons, 2004 to 2016. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Martinez's career ran from 2002 to 2018. His seasons after 2016 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 2002 and 2003.
| 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 recorded salary (partial) | $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 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Victor Martinez (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Victor Martinez
Victor Martinez: the record in brief
The profile opens with Victor Martinez's first major league game on September 10, 2002; the last one listed came on September 22, 2018. Martinez played for the Cleveland Indians (2002 through 2009), the Boston Red Sox (2009 through 2010), and the Detroit Tigers (2011 through 2018). Listed as a designated hitter, Martinez switch-hit and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 6'2" and 235 pounds. The birth record reads December 23, 1978, in Ciudad Bolivar, Bolívar, Venezuela. On the record, Victor Martinez was born Victor Jesus Martinez.
Martinez finished with 2,153 hits from 7,297 at bats in 1,973 games, which works out to .295, along with 246 homers and 1,178 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .360 clip and slugging .455, Martinez finished with a .815 OPS. Over the seasons Martinez played, league hitters batted .259; the .295 career figure is 13.8% above that. In OPS terms, Martinez's .815 stands 10.0% above the league's .740. No season beat the 32 home runs Martinez hit in 2014.
Frequently Asked Questions about Victor Martinez
- What years did Victor Martinez play?
- Victor Martinez played in Major League Baseball from 2002 to 2018.
- Was Victor Martinez a pitcher?
- No. Victor Martinez was a position player (Designated Hitter).
- How many home runs did Victor Martinez hit?
- Victor Martinez hit 246 career home runs with 2,153 hits.
- What teams did Victor Martinez play for?
- Victor Martinez played for 3 teams: the Cleveland Indians (2002–2009), the Boston Red Sox (2009–2010), and the Detroit Tigers (2011, 2013–2018).
- Did Victor Martinez win an MVP award?
- No. Victor Martinez did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Victor Martinez win?
- Victor Martinez won 2 Silver Slugger awards (2004 and 2014). He was selected to 5 All-Star Games.
- What were Victor Martinez's career stats?
- In 1,973 games, Victor Martinez had 2,153 hits, 246 home runs, 1,178 RBI, 914 runs, and 7 stolen bases, with a .295 batting average.
- How much did Victor Martinez earn in his career?
- Victor Martinez's recorded salaries total $104,926,600 over 13 seasons, 2004 to 2016. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Martinez's career ran from 2002 to 2018. His seasons after 2016 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 2002 and 2003.
- What was Victor Martinez's salary?
- Victor Martinez's last recorded salary was $18,000,000, in 2016. His highest recorded salary was $18,000,000, in 2016, and his lowest was $304,500, in 2004. The Salary History table lists each season from 2004 to 2016.
- What position did Victor Martinez play?
- Victor Martinez played primarily as a designated hitter, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Victor Martinez and how much did he weigh?
- Victor Martinez was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 235 pounds.
- How many home runs did Victor Martinez hit each season?
- Victor Martinez's home runs by season: 1 in 2002, 1 in 2003, 23 in 2004, 20 in 2005, 16 in 2006, 25 in 2007, 2 in 2008, 23 in 2009, 20 in 2010, 12 in 2011, 14 in 2013, 32 in 2014, 11 in 2015, 27 in 2016, 10 in 2017, and 9 in 2018. His most in one season was 32, in 2014.
- What was Victor Martinez's career batting average?
- Victor Martinez batted .295 over his career, with 2,153 hits in 7,297 at bats.
- How many RBI did Victor Martinez have?
- Victor Martinez drove in 1,178 runs in his career.