Ariel Martínez recently signed a contract, in the Adolfo Luque Hall of the Latinoamericano stadium, with the Nippon-Ham Fighters with record figures for the Yumurino in his career. Martínez resigned with the team with which he has made the All-Star game twice in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. According to close sources, the first baseman’s contract will be in the neighborhood eight million dollars and is expected to be multi-year. It will be the second largest contract for a Cuban slugger in the land of the rising sun.
“At the beginning of the 2024 season, I had a good start, hitting home, driving in runs, and even tying or deciding some games. However, I experienced a decrease in my production during the second half of the season, which led our manager to rotate other players into the fourth spot of our lineup. The coaching staff sought to maximize my production by dropping me in the order. For this reason, I must win first base job, although there are several talented young players who are also in the fight for that position,” added the native of Matanzas, Cuba.
Martínez has been the starting first baseman the last two years with the Nippon-Ham, was selected as the Pacific League’s starting first baseman in the All-Star game category by the fans. The infielder hit fourth in the Pacific League batting order during the opening game of the All-Star Series, which took place at Es Con Field Hokkaido, home of the Nippon-Ham. On the campaign Martínez had 57 RBIs, in addition to becoming one of the team’s mainstays his contract not only changed the face of the franchise but also of his career. Over the last two seasons he has driven more than 50 runs a year and 123 in total over that span.
In his five NPB seasons Martínez has 167 RBIs, 125 runs scored, has a batting average of .252 and an on-base percentage of .343. In his career in the second most talented circuit in the world he has hit 305 hits, including 40 home runs, 65 doubles and five triples between the Chunichi Dragons and the Nippon-Ham Fighters. Expect the 28-year-old to improve on his production and to have a long career in the Nippon League.