Víctor Jesús Martínez (born December 23, 1978), also known by his nickname “V-Mart”, is a Venezuelan former professional baseball designated hitter and catcher. Martínez played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, and Detroit Tigers. After joining the Tigers, he played mostly as a designated hitter.
Martínez was a five-time MLB All-Star. He won the Silver Slugger Award twice, and the Edgar Martínez Award once. He finished runner-up for the American League Most Valuable Player award in 2014. When he retired in 2018, he was 7th among all active players in RBIs (1,178).
Víctor Martínez Net Worth. is $50 Million
Víctor Martínez’s Salary: $12 Million
Net Worth: $50 Million
Salary: $12 Million
Date of Birth: Dec 23, 1978 (44 years old)
Place of Birth: Ciudad Bolívar
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Profession: Baseball player
Nationality: Venezuela
Early Life
Victor Jesus Martinez was born on December 23, 1978, in Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela. He was signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent in 1996.
MLB Career
Victor Martinez played in the minor leagues where he was named the Indians 2001 and 2002 Minor League Player of the Year receiving the Lou Boudreau Award. And after a pair of minor league MVP awards and batting titles, he made his major league debut in September 2002. In 2003, he split his playing time between the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons and Indians, and his first full major league season came in 2004 when he set a record for Indians catchers with 108 RBIs. He earned his first All-Star selection and shared the Silver Slugger honor as the top-hitting American League catcher with Ivan Rodriguez. He made the All-Star team again in 2007 and 2009. And in July 2009, Martinez was traded to the Boston Red Sox for Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone, and Bryan Price. He played both first base and catcher with the team but was limited in 2010 due to a thumb injury. In November 2010, Martinez and the Detroit Tigers agreed to terms where he played mostly as a designated hitter. He missed the entire 2012 campaign due to a torn ACL but returned to form with a 2014 All-Star selection and his second Silver Slugger Award. In fact, the 2014 campaign was the best statistical year of his career. When he retired from the game in 2018, he was 7th of all active players in RBIs with 1,178 and intentional walks with 119.
Contracts & Career Earnings
In April 2005, Martinez signed a five-year, $15.5 million contract with the Cleveland Indians. In 2010, he inked a four-year, $50 million deal with the Boston Red Sox. His extension deal with the Detroit Tigers in 2014 consisted of four years and $68 million.
Over the course of his 15-year MLB career, Victor Martinez earned more than $141.7 million in salary alone.
Personal Life
Victor Martinez began dating his future wife when he was just 17 years old. Today, the couple has two children together, a son named Victor Jose and a daughter named Maria Victoria.
Upon retiring from the game, Victor Martinez founded a 2,400-acre cattle operation called Victoria’s Ranch in Okeechobee, Florida. In 2020, his horse King Guillermo won the Tampa Bay Derby at odds of 49/1.
Martinez joined the Toronto Blue Jays front office as an advisor in February 2023.
