Pedro Martinez

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Martínez's record of 219 wins and 100 losses gives him the highest winning percentage in major league history among pitchers with at least 200 wins. He ended his career with an ERA of 2.93. He reached the 3,000 strikeout mark in fewer innings than any pitcher except Randy Johnson and Max Scherzer. He is one of only three pitchers—along with Randy Johnson and Max Scherzer—to compile over 3,000 career strikeouts with fewer than 3,000 innings pitched. His career strikeout rate of 10.04 per nine innings ranks sixth all-time among pitchers with over 1,500 innings. An eight-time All-Star, he won three Cy Young Awards (1997, 1999, 2000) and was runner-up twice (1998, 2002). In 1999, he was runner-up for the AL MVP Award, after winning the pitching Triple Crown with a 23–4 record, 2.07 ERA, and 313 strikeouts. He recorded the second-lowest single-season FIP in the live ball era (1.39 in 1999), the second-lowest single-season WHIP in major league history (0.737 in 2000), and the highest single-season Adjusted ERA+ in major league history (291, also in 2000). He helped the Red Sox win their first World Series title in 86 years in 2004. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015 in his first year of eligibility, joining Juan Marichal as the second Dominican to be enshrined; his number (45) was retired by the Red Sox.

In Their Own Story

The climax of Martínez's Red Sox tenure arrived in 2004. Although his performance suffered a steep decline that season, he ended the year memorably by helping the team win their first World Series title in 86 years. This victory broke a long drought for the franchise. Earlier in his Boston career, on September 30, 1992, he had made his MLB debut with the Dodgers, but it was in Boston where he became an icon. In 1999, after winning the pitching Triple Crown, he joined Gaylord Perry and Randy Johnson as one of only a few pitchers to win Cy Young Awards in both leagues. He also recorded the highest single-season Adjusted ERA+ in history (291) in 2000. His ability to reach the 3,000 strikeout mark with fewer than 3,000 innings pitched placed him in rare company alongside Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer.

Reader's Guide

Martínez was born in the Dominican Republic in the Santo Domingo suburb of Manoguayabo. He was the fifth of six siblings. His father, Pablo Jaime Abreu, worked odd jobs. His mother, Leopoldina Martínez, worked for wealthy families. As a teenager, he carried his older brother Ramón's bags at a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball camp. He debuted professionally with the Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League during the 1989–90 season. He was originally signed by the Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1988. He made his MLB debut on September 24, 1992, for the Dodgers. He was traded to the Montreal Expos before the 1994 season. With the Expos, he won the National League Cy Young Award in 1997. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox in November 1997. He pitched for the Red Sox from 1998 to 2004.

Did You Know?

• Martínez is believed to have been somewhat smaller than his officially listed height of 5 ft 11 in and weight of 170 pounds.
• He improvised with oranges as a child because he could not afford baseballs.
• He was the first right-handed pitcher to reach 300 strikeouts with an ERA under 2.00 since Walter Johnson in 1912.
• Martínez dominated while pitching most often in a hitter-friendly ballpark and facing tough competition during the steroid era.