Table of Biography
J. D. Martinez is a professional baseball player from the United States. J. D. Martinez plays as an outfielder and designated hitter who is a free agent. Meanwhile, he has played for the Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers in the Major League Baseball (MLB).
Early Life
J. D. Martinez was born in Miami, Florida, the United States, on the 21st of August 1987. He is 36 years old and comes under the birth sign of Leo. His full name is Julio Daniel Martinez and he is an American by nationality.
Caption: J. D. Martinez’s childhood photo with his father (Source: Instagram)
His parent’s names are Julio Martinez (father) and Mayra Martinez (mother). He was raised with his five sisters whose names are unknown. Very little information is available regarding his childhood life.
J. D. Martinez – Education
In 2006, he completed his schooling at Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines, Florida. He was selected in the 36th round (1,086th overall) of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft by the Minnesota Twins, but he did not sign with the team.
Instead, he attended Nova Southeastern University (NSU), where he played collegiate baseball for the Sharks from 2007 to 2009. He established the school’s career home run record with 32, was second in batting average (.394), third in RBI (142), and fourth in slugging percentage (.691). In 2009, he batted 428 with 15 home runs and scored 73 runs, a program record. He was a two-time All-Sunshine State Conference baseball player.
Professional Career
Houston Astros
In 2009, the Houston Astros selected J. D. Martinez as the 611th overall pick in the 20th round of the Major League Baseball draft. Greg Brown signed him and then became the head coach at NSU.
Martinez began his professional career with the Greeneville Astros of the Rookie-level Appalachian League, where he batted.403, before being promoted to the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League.
He began the 2010 season with the Lexington Legends of the Class A South Atlantic League (SAL), before being promoted mid-season to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Class AA Texas League. He began the 2011 season with Corpus Christi, where he batted.338/.414/.552/.959 in 88 games, with 25 doubles, 13 home runs, 72 RBI, 42 bases on balls, and 55 strikeouts.
On July 30, 2011, the Astros called up Martinez to replace Hunter Pence, who had been dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies. Martinez made his Major League Baseball debut as the first player drafted from Nova Southeastern University.
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers signed Martinez to a minor-league contract on the 24th of 2014. During his tenure with the Detroit Tigers, J.D. Martinez showcased his power-hitting abilities and became known for his offensive contributions.
He had several impressive seasons with the Tigers before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in July 2017. During his tenure with the team, his best record came in the 2015 season, where he hit 38 home runs, and 102 (RBIs) with a batting average of 282.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Tigers traded Martinez to the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 18, 2017, in exchange for Dawel Lugo, Sergio Alcántara, and Jose King. He hit four home runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 4, becoming the 18th major leaguer and the first Diamondbacks player to do it.
His stint with the Diamondbacks was relatively short, as he played for them for the remainder of the 2017 season. Despite the brief time with the team, he had a tremendous impact on the Diamondbacks’ lineup. In just 62 games with the Diamondbacks, he hit 29 home runs, and 65 (RBIs), with a batting average of 302.
Boston Red Sox
Caption: J. D. Martinez’s batting during a match (Source: Sun Journal)
On the 26th of February 2018, Martinez signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent. He played for the team from 2018–2022. With the Red Sox, his best record came in 2018, batting .329 with 27 home runs and 73 RBIs. Meanwhile, he was named to the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. He became a free agent after the 2022 season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
He signed a one-year, $10 million, contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on the 29th of December 2022. During his tenure on the team, he played in 113 games, hitting .271 with 33 home runs and 103 (RBIs). The following season, he became a free agent.
Awards
During his professional baseball career, he has been awarded several times. Some of his achievements are “6× All-Star” (2015, 2018, 2019, 2021–2023), “3× Silver Slugger Award” (2015, 2018²), “World Series Champion” (2018), “AL Hank Aaron Award” (2018), and “AL RBI leader” (2018).
Net Worth 2024
As of January 2024, his net worth is estimated at around $11o million. He primarily earned through his baseball career, contracts, and brand endorsements.
Relationship Status
Currently, J. D. Martinez is dating Ariana Aubert, a former cheerleader. Moreover, the couple attended Flanagan High School together. He and his girlfriend have no children from their relationship. The relationship between them is growing strong and there are no signs of their separation.
Caption: J. D. Martinez with his girlfriend (Source: X.com)
Martinez became embroiled in a scandal in 2013 after posting on Instagram a comment that anti-gun control activists wrongly ascribed to Adolf Hitler. Currently, there are no speculations about Martinez’s life or career.
J. D. Martinez – Body Measurements
Caption: J. D. Martinez being ready for entering in the ground (Source: Instagram)
This baseball player stands 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs around 99 kg. Moreover, he has a pair of dark brown eyes with the same colour hair.
Social Media
On his Instagram page ‘@jdmartinez28’ there are over 353k followers. Likewise, there are over 138.2k followers on his Twitter page ‘@JDMartinez28’ and over 42k followers on his official Facebook page.