Edgar Martínez (born January 2, 1963), nicknamed “Gar” and “Papi“, is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a designated hitter and third baseman for the Seattle Mariners from 1987 through 2004. He served as the Mariners’ hitting coach from 2015 through 2018 and turned into a hitting advisor for them since then.
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.
Martínez was a seven-time MLB All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger, and two-time batting champion. He is one of 18 MLB players to record a batting average of .300, an on-base percentage of .400, and a slugging percentage of .500 in 5,000 or more plate appearances. The Mariners retired his uniform number 11 and inducted him into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame. Martínez was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.
What is Edgar Martinez’s Net Worth?
Edgar Martinez is a Puerto Rican former baseball player and coach who has a net worth of $20 million. Edgar Martinez spent his whole 18-year Major League Baseball career as a designated hitter and third baseman with the Seattle Mariners where he earned the nicknames “Gar” and “Papi” as one of the greatest hitters of his generation.
Net Worth: $20 Million
Date of Birth: Jan 2, 1963 (60 years old)
Place of Birth: New York City
Gender: Male
Profession: Baseball player
Nationality: United States of America
Early Life
Edgar Martinez was born on January 2, 1963, in New York City to Puerto Rican parents José and Christina Salgado Martinez. After they divorced when he was just two years old, he was taken in by his grandparents who lived in Dorado, Puerto Rico. When he was 11, his parents got back together and his brother and sister returned to New York to live with them. But Edgar chose to stay in Dorado with his grandparents.
Edgar got into baseball while watching fellow Puerto Rican Roberto Clemente play in the 1971 World Series, and he would play catch with his cousin Carmelo Martinez in the backyard. He attended the Inter American University of Puerto Rico where he studied business administration, played semi-professional baseball, and worked two jobs as a supervisor in a furniture store and a General Electric factory employee.
MLB Career
Edgar Martinez initially signed on to a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners on December 19, 1982 . He gradually worked his way up through the Mariner’s minor league ranks, enjoying brief stints with the Calgary Cannons and the Chattanooga Lookouts before making his official major league introduction on September 12, 1987. In 1990, Martinez finally became a permanent fixture on the lineup of the Mariners team, after he replaced Jim Presley on third base. This was the beginning of his prestigious career as a third baseman during which he won 1992’s American League batting award. However, just prior to the 1993 season, Martinez had the unfortunate misfortune of tearing his hamstring playing in an exhibition game at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium, and was subsequently never quite able to fully recover in the field.
He became a full time designated hitter for the 1995 season and had a career year at the plate. He hit for a team record .356 and led the league with 121 runs scored, 52 doubles, a .479 OBP and 1.109 OPS. He was selected to the 1995 All-Star Game and won his second AL batting title, his second Silver Slugger Award, and first Outstanding Designated Hitter Award. He also finished third in AL Most Valuable Player Award voting.
Overall, Martinez was a seven-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, two-time AL batting champion, the 2000 AL RBI leader, and 2004 Roberto Clemente Award winner. He hit for an average of .312 to go with 2,247 hits, 309 home runs, and 1,261 runs batted in.
Edgar Martinez had his No. 11 jersey retired by the Mariners, and he was inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame. Martinez was enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.
Contracts & Career Earnings
Martinez signed a three-year, $9.925 million contract with the Seattle Mariners in 1993. In 1996, he re-upped with the team on a four-year, $14 million deal. From 2000 onward, he finished out his career on one year deals worth $5.85 million, $9 million, $4 million, and $3 million, respectively.
Over his MLB career, Edgar Martinez earned nearly $51.8 million in salary alone.
Personal Life
Edgar Martinez married Holli Beeler in October of 1992 after initially meeting her on a blind date. The couple has three children together, Alex, Tessa, and Jacqueline. The family resides in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue.
Martinez is a self-taught English language speaker and computer user. He is a co-founder of Plaza Bank, Washington State’s first Hispanic bank, and he and his wife have contributed to various causes over the years including Seattle’s Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center.
Edgar’s cousin is the equally famous baseball player, Carmelo Martinez.
Edgar Martínez Earnings
- Seattle Mariners (2003-04)$3 Million
- Seattle Mariners (2002-03)$4 Million
- Seattle Mariners (2001-02)$7.1 Million
- Seattle Mariners (2000-01)$5.5 Million
- Seattle Mariners (1999-00)$5.4 Million
- Seattle Mariners (1998-99)$3.5 Million
- Seattle Mariners (1997-98)$3.5 Million
- Seattle Mariners (1996-97)$3.1 Million
- Seattle Mariners (1995-96)$3.5 Million
- Seattle Mariners (1994-95)$3.6 Million
- Seattle Mariners (1993-94)$3.3 Million
- Seattle Mariners (1992-93)$3 Million
- Seattle Mariners (1991-92)$560 Thousand
- Seattle Mariners (1990-91)$350 Thousand
- Seattle Mariners (1989-90)$108 Thousand
- Total Earnings$49.5 Million
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