Edgar Martínez (born January 2, 1963), nicknamed "Gar" and "Papi", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player who is currently the senior director of hitting strategy coach for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB as a designated hitter and third baseman for Seattle from 1987 to 2004. He served as the Mariners' hitting coach from 2015 to 2018 and returned to the position in August 2024. He has also been a hitting advisor with the Mariners from 2019 through 2024.
Martínez grew up in Dorado, Puerto Rico. Not highly regarded as a prospect, he signed with the Mariners as a free agent in 1982, and was given a small signing bonus. He made his major league debut in 1987 but did not establish himself as a full-time player until 1990, at age 27. In the 1995 American League Division Series, he hit "The Double", which won the series and increased public support for Mariners baseball as they attempted to fund a new stadium. He continued to play until 2004, when injuries forced him to retire. MLB's award for the best designated hitter was renamed the Edgar Martínez Award in 2004 before his retirement.
Martínez was a seven-time MLB All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger, and two-time batting champion. He is one of 15 MLB players to record a batting average of .300, an on-base percentage of .400, and a slugging percentage of .500 in 8,500 or more plate appearances. The Mariners retired his uniform number 11 and inducted him into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame. In 2019, Martínez was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Early life
Martínez was born in New York City on January 2, 1963, to José and Christina Salgado Martínez, who were from Puerto Rico. His parents divorced when he was two years old, and he was raised by his grandparents, who lived in the barrio of Maguayo in Dorado, Puerto Rico. When he was 11 years old, his parents reconciled. His brother and sister returned to New York to live with their parents, but Edgar opted to remain in Dorado with his grandparents.
Playing career
Prospect (1982–1987)
At the suggestion of the owner of his semi-professional team, Martínez attended a tryout held by the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). Despite nearly missing the tryout after a long night working at the factory and being "so tired [he] couldn't swing the bat," the Mariners signed him to a contract with a $4,000 signing bonus (a small amount at the time) on December 12, 1982, shortly before his 20th birthday. He struggled with speaking English early in his career.
Early career (1987–1989)
Martínez made his major league debut on September 12, 1987 as a third baseman and proceeded to hit .372 in 13 games that season. In 1988, Martínez began the season with Calgary but was called up to the major leagues in early May. He played in four games with the Mariners before returning to Calgary,
The Mariners named Martínez their starting third baseman on their Opening Day roster in 1989. He struggled and was sent back down to Calgary in May. Lefebvre moved Coles to the outfield and began playing Martínez at third base. He dealt with leg injuries during the season and had right knee surgery following the season. He finished the season hitting .307/.405/.452, all career highs at the time. In 1992, Martínez was selected to his first All-Star Game and won his first two AL Player of the Month Awards for July and then August. In August, he signed a three-year, $10 million contract extension with Seattle, the largest contract given out by Seattle to that point. It was the first batting title for Seattle and the franchise's highest single-season batting average (since surpassed by Ichiro Suzuki). Martínez also tied Frank Thomas for the most doubles in MLB and set a team record for most doubles in a season (since surpassed by Alex Rodriguez). After the season, Martínez was awarded his first AL Silver Slugger Award as a third baseman.
Injuries (1993–1994)
During an exhibition game at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia before the 1993 season, Martínez tore his hamstring on an unzipped seam in the turf between first and second base. He missed 42 games at the start of the season and was placed on the disabled list twice more during the season. In 1994, in his first plate appearance of the season, opposing pitcher Dennis Martínez hit him in the right wrist, and he returned to the disabled list. Between the injuries and the 1994–95 MLB strike, he played in 131 games during the 1993 and 1994 seasons. In 89 games in 1994, he played 65 games as a third baseman and 23 as a designated hitter, with one appearance as a pinch runner. He also finished third in AL Most Valuable Player Award voting behind Mo Vaughn and Albert Belle. He won his second Silver Slugger Award
The Double
In the 1995 American League Division Series (ALDS) against the New York Yankees, Martínez hit .571 and reached base 18 times in five games. In Game 4 of that series, he hit a three-run home run, then a grand slam home run that broke a 6–6 tie, en route to an 11–8 victory. His seven runs batted in (RBIs) in that game tied a single-game postseason record. The win knotted the best-of-five series at two games apiece and forced Game 5. Down 5–4 in the 11th inning of that decisive game, Martínez hit a two-run double off Jack McDowell, winning the game for the Mariners, 6–5, and series, 3–2. The win sent the Mariners to the American League Championship Series (ALCS) for the first time in franchise history, a series they would eventually lose to the Cleveland Indians in six games.