Ernesto Martínez Jr.

Ernesto Wilson Martínez

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 0", Weight 215 lb.

• Born June 20, 1999 in Holguín, Holguín Cuba

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Ernesto Martínez Jr. is the son of Ernesto Martínez, who has played in Cuba and France.

Martínez starred for Cuba when they won the 2014 U-15 World Championship, hitting .465/.477/.698 with 11 runs, 13 RBI and 5 doubles. He led the event in total bases (30, four ahead of Rafael Marchan and Brice Turang), tied Royce Lewis and Julio Aguilar for the most doubles, tied Marchan for second in hits and was 3rd in RBI (leading the champs). He left Cuba that year to join his father, who had been playing in France's top league since 2005 after retiring from Cuba.

In March 2016, he was the youngest player picked for the French national team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers at age 16. He was listed as a pitcher thanks to a 93-mph fastball, but was not used on the mound. He started the first game at DH for France but went 0 for 3 and was replaced the next two games at DH by his father in an odd twist. He did pinch-hit in the semifinals against Panama. Down 7-4 in the 9th, he batted for Norbert Jongerius and grounded out against Manny Corpas.

He was not as effective in the 2016 U-18 European Championship as he had been in the 2014 Worlds. He hit .211/.333/.263 and fielded .952 for France; he did drive in four runs in five games.

On May 27, 2017, he was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers. He split the summer between the AZL Brewers (7 for 42, 6 BB, 19 K, 2B) and DSL Brewers (.257/.419/.434, 30 BB in 38 G).

Sources

• World Baseball Classic
• World Baseball and Softball Confederation
• European Baseball Confederation
• Diario Las Americas article
• Mister-Baseball