Ariel Martínez (baseball)
| Ariel Martínez | |
|---|---|
 Martinez with the Chunichi Dragons in 2019 | |
| Chunichi Dragons – No. 57 | |
| Catcher / Left Fielder | |
| Born: May 28, 1996 Matanzas, Cuba | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| NPB debut | |
| July 3, 2020, for the Chunichi Dragons | |
| NPB statistics (through April 5, 2022) | |
| Batting average | .278 |
| Home runs | 4 |
| Runs batted in | 21 |
| Teams | |
| |
Ariel Martínez Marrero (born May 28, 1996) is a Cuban professional baseball catcher for the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played for Cocodrilos de Matanzas in the Cuban National Series.
Professional career
On March 14, 2018, Martínez signed with the Chunichi Dragons on a developmental contract.[1] He spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons with Chunichi's farm team. On July 1, 2020, Martinez was given a full-time rostered deal and a new shirt number, 57. [2] Martínez notched 5 hits in 18 plate appearances for Chunichi in 2020.[3] The Cuban catcher Ariel Martinez shone again on Wednesday in Japanese baseball, when he hit a homer that led to the victory of the Chunichi Dragons over the Yakult Swallows. Playing left field, the versatile Martinez went 2-3, with a run scored and a walk, to leave his average at .333, and get the only run of the game, which ended 1-0 in favor of his team.[4]
Personal life
Like every kid in Cuba of his generation Ariel Martínez admires Ariel Pestano as he do, now one catcher that he like to watch and emulate is Salvador Pérez. He try to watch film of him and he definitely try to catch plenty of Kansas City Royals games on television when he can.[5]
References
- ^ "【中日】イケメン助っ人捕手のＡ・マルティネス、ニックネームは「田舎者」" (in Japanese). 2018-03-14. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
- ^ "中日アリエル・マルティネス支配下契約へ キューバ出身24歳捕手「ドラゴンズに恩返しを」：中日スポーツ・東京中日スポーツ" [Chunichi's Ariel Martinez given full time-deal. The 24 y/o Cuban catcher says "I want to give back to the Dragons"]. 中日スポーツ・東京中日スポーツ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-07-02.
- ^ "Ariel Martínez Cuban, Independent & Japanese Leagues Statistics & History".
- ^ "Cuban Martinez shines again in Japanese baseball - Prensa Latina". 11 May 2022.
- ^ "NPB: Ariel Martínez, the next great Cuban catcher". 26 June 2020.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors), NPB
.jpg){kind=small}  | This biographical article relating to a Cuban baseball catcher is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |