Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks fields the ball in the fourth inning during the 94th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Globe Life Field on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Brett Patzke/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Despite the All-Star break, it’s been a busy week for Ketel Marte.
The native of Nizao, Dominican Republic went 7-for-12 in three games for the Arizona Diamondbacks with a homer and five RBI, and also contributed a hit and a run in three at-bats for the National League at Tuesday’s All-Star Game, earning him World Baseball Network’s International MLB Player of the Week honors.
Now in his 10th season in the Major Leagues, Marte is a two-time All-Star, having also appeared in the 2019 midsummer classic, and was the MVP of the 2023 National League Championship Series, which the Diamondbacks won on their way to the World Series.
Marte’s best season came in 2019, when he finished fourth in the NL MVP balloting after batting .329/.389/.592 with 32 homers, 92 RBI, and an OPS+ of 147.
Since signing with the Seattle Mariners as an international free agent, Marte has made brief, sporadic appearances in LIDOM for the Gigantes del Cibao, last playing winter ball in 2017-18, when he appeared in 20 games for the Gigantes, batting .274 with a homer and seven RBI.
During the 2023 playoffs, Marte had a 20-game hitting streak. Marte went 31-for-88 over those 20 games, with seven doubles, three triples, and three homers, driving in 13 runs. His eighth-inning single in the Diamondbacks’ 9-1 win in Game Two of the 2023 World Series extended his streak to 18 games, pushing him past Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez, and Hank Bauer for the longest postseason hitting streak in MLB history.
The Diamondbacks finish a three-game road set against the Chicago Cubs this weekend before traveling to Kansas City for three games against the Royals. After an off day Thursday, they’ll host the Pittsburgh Pirates at Chase Field next weekend.
