Martinez, Pedro (1971-…), was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. Martinez won the Cy Young Award three times. The award is given to the outstanding pitcher in the National League and in the American League at the end of each season. Martinez, a right-handed pitcher, won the award in 1997 while playing for the Montreal Expos of the National League. He won the American League Cy Young Award in 1999 and 2000 while pitching for the Boston Red Sox.
Pedro Jaime Martinez was born on Oct. 25, 1971, in Manoguayabo in the Dominican Republic. The Los Angeles Dodgers signed him as a free agent in 1988. After pitching in the minor leagues from 1988 to 1992, Martinez made his major league debut with the Dodgers in 1992. In 1993, Los Angeles traded him to Montreal, where he established himself as one of baseball’s best pitchers. In 1997, Montreal traded him to Boston, where in 2004 he helped the Red Sox win their first World Series in 86 years. Martinez signed as a free agent with the New York Mets after the 2004 season. Martinez pitched for the Mets from 2005 through 2008. He pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009 and then retired.
Martinez led the National League in earned run average in 1997 and the American League in 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2003. He also led the American League in strikeouts in 1999, 2000, and 2002. In 2007, Martinez became the 15th pitcher in major league history to record 3,000 career strikeouts. Martinez was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.
