NEW YORK - Nick Martinez, who was once ejected from Yankee Stadium as a rowdy college student, will take the mound there Wednesday night as the Tampa Bay Rays’ Game 3 starter in the American League Division Series, looking to sweep the New York Yankees and advance to the ALCS.
Martinez, who signed with the Rays as a free agent in mid-February, finished the regular season 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA over 31 starts and 180 innings, posting 3.9 wins above replacement. Tampa Bay went 22-9 in his starts. He earned his first All-Star selection this season.
The backstory at Yankee Stadium is hard to ignore. Martinez attended Fordham University in New York and, during his junior year, headed to the ballpark with his roommate after a canceled practice. “Might have had a few too many adult beverages. Got kicked out. Yeah,” Martinez said, grinning, when he recounted the story in May. “They were playing the Red Sox, so it was rowdy. We were kinda rowdy.”
Martinez has handled the Bronx considerably better as a professional. In 16 road starts this season, he went 7-3 with a 2.38 ERA. In two outings at Yankee Stadium specifically, he held New York to just three runs over 12 innings.
His impact on the Rays has extended well beyond the stat line. Teammates have credited Martinez with anchoring Tampa Bay’s clubhouse culture in his first year with the club. “He’s the best in the world. He’s a great teammate. He’s a great person, on and off the field,” Rays DH Yandy Díaz said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “With a guy like him, the way he carries himself, life benefits you in a lot of ways just because of how good of a person you are. That’s Nick Martinez.”
Left fielder Chandler Simpson was equally direct: “Second to none. I don’t know where we would be without him.”
Shortstop Taylor Walls went further. “A 1A clubhouse guy in my career, and I could give him all the credit for most everything that’s happened this year,” Walls said. “He’s the same guy no matter where you see him at. Takes care of you. Takes care of everybody. Just positive. Always a smile on his face. He’s always doing something that could benefit someone else. If there was one MVP on this team, it’s him.”
Game 3 of the ALDS is scheduled for Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, with the Rays holding a 2-0 series lead.