Overview Rating: 6.73 2025 stats: Justin Martinez appeared in 17 games and had a total of 15.1 IP. He walked 12 and struck out 22 batters and gave up one home run. He had a record of 1-2 with an ERA of 4.11. His FIP was 4.05, ERA+ 107 and WHIP 1.239. He had 5 saves and […]
Overview
Rating: 6.73
2025 stats: Justin Martinez appeared in 17 games and had a total of 15.1 IP. He walked 12 and struck out 22 batters and gave up one home run. He had a record of 1-2 with an ERA of 4.11. His FIP was 4.05, ERA+ 107 and WHIP 1.239. He had 5 saves and 4 holds.
Date of birth: July 30th, 2001
2025 salary: $1.9 million
2026 status: Looking at his contract, he will make $2.6 million next season. He is signed through 2029, with team options for 30-32. The value of the contract is $18 million.
2025 in review
Justin Martinez was originally signed by the Dbacks in 2018 and made his debut in 2023. He only played in 10 games so he was #38 in review placement for that season. He would jump all the way to #5 last season. James had a pretty good review last year.
From James’ 2024 review:
“Of course, he needs to work on that control and still beat out A.J. Puk for the role of 2024 closer, but those are both very achievable goals. The harder one will be limiting the walks. But, he has shown he can find a fair amount of success, even while issuing too many free passes. “
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2024/12/24/24328865/2024-arizona-diamondbacks-reviews-5-justin-martinez
This season both players would go down with injuries, and well, we all saw how the bullpen ended up…AJ Puk’s review was this past Wednesday.
In the 2024 review, James touched on the possibility that Martinez might get extended. That ended up happening in March.
Justin Martinez signed to contract extension
“It is a 5-year deal for $18 million with a $2 million signing bonus and $16 million spread out over 5 years. There are two club option years at $7 and $9 million.”
………………………………
“While he looks likely to split closing duties this season, at least initially, with A.J. Puk, this indicates the team is confident in Martinez’s future.”
:/
https://www.azsnakepit.com/2025/3/21/24391346/justin-martinez-signed-to-contract-extension
Martinez had an outstanding start to the 2025 season. In his first 10 games, he threw 9 innings, gave up 3 hits, one unearned run and struck out 11 and only walked 2. He recorded 3 holds and 2 saves. The unearned run came in the 10th game, against the Braves, a 10 inning loss. Matt Olson scored on a wild pitch as the ghost runner. The previous batter, Drake Baldwin, appeared to have hit a tapper to the mound. (FC1-3)
The next night, also against the Braves, he gave up a run but managed to record a save. The Braves left 2 runners on as Martinez hit a batter and walked 2 as well as gave up the run scoring double to Ozuna. A few days later, on April 30th, he did not record an out against the Mets. He walked 2 and gave up the only home run he surrendered on the season. He was placed on the IL with right shoulder inflammation on May 1st, the same day that the Dbacks transferred Puk to the 60 day IL. The transaction log says the corresponding move was selecting the contract of Jose Castillo from Reno.
Martinez was sent on rehab assignments to the ACL Diamondbacks and to Reno a few weeks later. He appeared in one game in each of his stops. On May 23rd he was activated, not really sure what the corresponding move was, unless it was sending Christian Montes De Oca down the previous day. (In that stint in the Majors, De Oca was up for 6 days, but did not appear in a game)
He gave up 2 runs to the Cardinals in his first appearance back on May 24th. He then got a hold and a save against the Pirates and Nationals in a combined 2 innings, in which he struck out 3 total and did not allow a base runner. On June 4th he recorded a save against the Braves, however it was not a smooth ride. The Dbacks won 2-1, but Martinez walked walked 4, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and allowed a run in 1.2 innings pitched. He did strike out 4, though, so take what you can? I guess. The Braves left the bases loaded.
His final appearance of the season came on June 9th against the Mariners. With a runner on 2B (which Jeff Brigham would eventually allow to score) he threw a 97 MPD fastball to Donovan Solano and immediately motioned to the dugout for them to come out. He would be done for the year.
‘Awful news’: D-backs closer Martinez to have Tommy John surgery
https://www.mlb.com/news/justin-martinez-tommy-john-surgery
Star Diamondbacks Closer Likely Out All of 2026 Heading into the surgery, the indications were that “Martinez would not require a new ligament. Based on previous news conferences, it was thought he would have the Brace Procedure, which offers a 12-13 month timeline.
But once the surgeon got in there, the needs changed, and the replacement surgery was performed, resulting in a 14-16 month window. “
…………………….
“Counting out from now, the best case scenario then would be at least 14 months, which would take Martinez to the end of August 2026. In cases like this in the past the team has usually been conservative and not pushed the player to return within that season.”
Category: General Sports
