Ketel Marte's Biography
Born on October 12, 1993, in the heart of the Dominican Republic, Ketel Ricardo Marte Valdez, with a firm conviction and sheer determination, deliberately chose a path to become a professional baseball player. Today, he sets an example for aspiring Dominican baseball players as one of the most prominent second basemen in the world.
Ketel’s journey to the Major League Baseball (MLB) began in 2010 when he signed with the Seattle Mariners on August 13th as an international free agent. He embarked on his professional career in 2011, playing for the Mariners in the Dominican Summer League.
In 2012, he showcased his talent with the Everett AquaSox of the Class A-Short Season Northwest League, and the Clinton LumberKings of the Class A Midwest League. The following year, he continued with the Clinton LumberKings and also played for the High Desert Mavericks of the Class A-Advanced California League. Demonstrating great agility at the plate, he finished the season batting .295 with a .687 on-base plus slugging (OPS).
As the years progressed, so did Ketel’s career. He kick-started 2014 with the Jackson Generals of the Class AA Southern League and, acknowledging his impressive performance, they promoted him to the Tacoma Rainiers of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL). He ended another successful season with a batting average of .304, four home runs, and a .746 OPS.
Following the remarkable 2014 season, in November, Marte secured a place on the Mariners’ 40-man roster. This led to his promotion to the major leagues on July 31, 2015. The subsequent trade of fellow shortstop Brad Miller was evidence of the confidence that the Seattle Mariners had in Marte’s talent.
However, the 2016 season presented challenges as Marte’s performance slumped to a .259 batting average with a dismal .287 on-base percentage, and a whopping 84 strikeouts in 119 games. Despite these setbacks, Marte persevered. In a surprising turn of events, he was traded, along with Taijuan Walker, to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger, and Zac Curtis on November 23, 2016.
The Diamondbacks proved to be a turning point in Marte’s career. He started the 2017 season with the high hopes of the Reno Aces of the PCL before his promotion to the major leagues on June 28. Marte delivered an unforgettable performance in the 2017 National League Wild Card Game by hitting two triples during an 11-8 win against the Colorado Rockies.
Stepping up to the challenges of the 2018 season, Marte seized the opportunity to switch from shortstop to second base, clearing the path for Nick Ahmed’s inclusion in the Arizona starting infield. With his hit accuracy, he led MLB with 12 triples throughout the season.
Marte continued his impressive performance in the 2019 season, batting .316 with 20 home runs and 51 RBIs, earning him the title of the starting second baseman in the 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The subsequent year he recorded another solid season, hitting .287 with 2 home runs and 17 RBIs.
From the heights of success, Marte experienced another setback in his career when he landed on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain on April 8, 2021. Displaying his tenacity and recovery skills, he returned to the field on May 19th.
His unwavering dedication paid off when he scored a five-year, $76 million contract extension with the Diamondbacks on March 29, 2022, securing his future in the MLB. As a resilient player, despite having a .240 batting average during the 2022 season, Marte pushed limits in Game 3 of the 2023 National League Championship Series, landing a walkoff single in the Diamondbacks’ 2-1 victory.
His hitting prowess streak advanced to an unprecedented 16 games, marking the longest hitting streak by any player in MLB postseason history. He concluded the series batting .387, receiving the 2023 NLCS MVP award. His streak remained unbroken until Game 5 of the 2023 world series, totalling a record-breaking 20 games, surpassing the previous record held by Manny Ramirez, Derek Jeter, and Hank Bauer, who all had 17-game streaks.
Apart from being a renowned baseball player, he feels a strong connection to his family, being the nephew of Wilson Valdez and married to the cousin of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Despite the ups and downs, Ketel Marte embodies commitment and dedication to the sport, proving that setbacks are just steppingstones towards a rewarding career, inspiring millions in the process.
