Leonys Martín facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leonys Martín |
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Martín with the Chiba Lotte Marines
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| Conspiradores de Querétaro – No. 13 | |||
| Center fielder | |||
| Born: March 6, 1988 Corralillo, Villa Clara, Cuba |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: September 2, 2011, for the Texas Rangers | |||
| NPB: July 26, 2019, for the Chiba Lotte Marines | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2019 season) |
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| Batting average | .244 | ||
| Home runs | 58 | ||
| Runs batted in | 228 | ||
| Stolen bases | 126 | ||
| NPB statistics (through 2022 season) |
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| Batting average | .220 | ||
| Home runs | 75 | ||
| Runs batted in | 204 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Leonys Martín Tápanes (born March 6, 1988) is a Cuban-American professional baseball player. He is a center fielder for the Conspiradores de Querétaro team in the Mexican League. He is also known by his nickname, "Ikadi".
Martín first signed with the Texas Rangers in 2011. He made his debut in Major League Baseball (MLB) later that same year. He has also played for other MLB teams like the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, and Cleveland Indians. Later, he played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan for the Chiba Lotte Marines.
Leonys was born in Cuba. He played baseball there for the Villa Clara team. He also played for the Cuban national baseball team in big international games. This included the 2009 World Baseball Classic. While playing in Taiwan in 2010, Martín left Cuba to become a free agent in Major League Baseball.
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Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Martín was born in the Villa Clara Province in Cuba. His parents named him after the famous singer, Lionel Richie. Leonys's father worked for a fishing company. His mother took care of Leonys and his four brothers and sisters.
Leonys's father taught him how to play baseball. He coached him when Leonys was a young boy. Martín played different positions like shortstop, second base, and third base. Later, he became a center fielder, which is where he plays now.
Playing Baseball in Cuba
When Martín was 17, he joined the Villa Clara team in the Cuban National Series. He also played for the Cuban national baseball team. In Cuba, he earned about $40 a week playing baseball.
In the 2009–2010 season, Martín had a batting average of .326. He hit 10 home runs and had 48 runs batted in (RBI). Over five seasons with Villa Clara, Martín's batting average was .314.
Martín played for the Cuban national team in several big events. He was part of the team that won the 2009 World Port Tournament. He was also chosen for the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He was the youngest player on that team. Martín also played for Cuba in the 2010 World Junior Baseball Championship.
During the 2010 World Junior Baseball Championship, Martín decided to leave Cuba. He traveled to Tokyo and then to Mexico. There, he was able to become a free agent for Major League Baseball. This meant he could sign with any team he wanted.
Major League Baseball Career
Texas Rangers Years
On May 4, 2011, Martín signed a big contract with the Texas Rangers. It was a five-year deal worth $15.5 million. He also got a $5 million bonus just for signing.
The Rangers first sent Martín to their minor league teams. He played for the Frisco RoughRiders and then the Round Rock Express. He played very well, hitting over .340 in Frisco. Because of his good play, the Rangers called him up to the major leagues on August 30, 2011.
Martín made his first MLB appearance on September 2, 2011. He got his first hit against the Boston Red Sox. In 2011, he played in eight games for the Rangers.
In 2012, Martín started the season in the minor leagues again. But after hitting well, he was called back up to the Rangers in June.
In 2013, Martín became the starting center fielder for the Rangers. On April 21, he hit his first career home run in MLB. On June 25, he hit two home runs in one game for the first time. For the 2013 season, Martín hit .260 and stole a career-high 36 bases.
He played a full season in 2014, hitting .274 and stealing 31 bases. In 2015, he had an injury and played in fewer games. His batting average dropped to .219 that year.
Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs
After the 2015 season, the Rangers traded Martín to the Seattle Mariners. In 2016, Martín hit a career-high 15 home runs. This was impressive because the Mariners' home stadium is known for being harder to hit home runs in.
In 2017, Martín was moved to the minor leagues for a while. Later that year, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He played for the Cubs in the playoffs because of his great speed and defense.
Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians
In December 2017, Martín signed with the Detroit Tigers. On April 19, 2018, he hit his first career grand slam. A grand slam is a home run hit with all bases loaded, scoring four runs. He also hit two home runs in a doubleheader on April 25. Martín had some hamstring injuries in 2018, which kept him from playing.
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On July 31, 2018, Martín was traded to the Cleveland Indians. Soon after, he became very sick with a serious bacterial infection. He had to stay in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit. The team announced that he was recovering from a life-threatening illness. He was not able to play for the rest of the 2018 season.
Martín signed a new contract with the Indians for the 2019 season. However, he was later released by the team in June 2019.
Playing Baseball in Japan
On July 14, 2019, Martín signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. He played in 52 games that year, hitting 14 home runs.
He signed an extension to stay with the Marines. In 2020, Martín played in 104 games. He hit 25 home runs and had 65 RBI. He signed another two-year contract after the 2020 season. In 2021, he hit 27 home runs and had 75 RBI in 116 games. In 2022, he played in 68 games for the Marines.
Recent Career
In February 2023, Martín signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners again. He played in spring training but was released before the regular season started.
On January 16, 2024, Martín signed with the Conspiradores de Querétaro team in the Mexican League. In 82 games, he hit .305 with 29 home runs and 74 RBI.
Personal Life
Martín's parents are divorced. His mother, brother, and three sisters still live in Cuba. His father lives in Miami, USA.
On June 25, 2018, Leonys Martín became a citizen of the United States.
See also
- List of baseball players who defected from Cuba
