Chris Martin Bio
Christopher Riley Martin (born June 2, 1986) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). A tall right-handed reliever, Martin has pitched in MLB for the Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox, and has also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
Standing 6 feet 8 inches and listed at 215 pounds, Martin is known for a mid-90s fastball, a sharp slider, a cut fastball, and a splitter, paired with elite control that has produced a career walk rate of about 1.1 batters per nine innings. He is a two-time champion, having won the 2016 Japan Series with the Fighters and the 2021 World Series with the Braves.
Early Life and Background
Martin grew up in Arlington, Texas, the youngest of four children of Connie and Matt Martin. His three older siblings, Crystal, Jonathan, and Shannon, all played baseball or softball, and Crystal went on to play collegiate softball as a shortstop for the Texas A&M Aggies, where she earned All-Big 12 Conference honors.
He attended Arlington High School, where he pitched for the school’s baseball team. In his senior year of 2004, the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association named Martin to its Class 5A All-State team. The Detroit Tigers selected him in the 18th round of the 2004 MLB draft, but Martin did not sign a professional contract.
Martin then enrolled at McLennan Community College to play for the McLennan Highlanders. After his freshman year he drew interest from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas at Austin, but he did not have enough course credits to transfer. The Colorado Rockies selected him in the 21st round of the 2005 MLB draft.
Path to Baseball
Martin returned to McLennan for his sophomore year while the Rockies decided whether to offer him a contract. While pitching for the Highlanders, Martin suffered a shoulder injury and was diagnosed with a torn labrum in his pitching arm. He underwent surgery, and the Rockies declined to sign him.
Martin was not selected in the 2006 MLB draft. He signed with the Fort Worth Cats of the independent United League Baseball for the 2007 season, but shoulder discomfort kept him off the mound. Rather than pursue another operation, he stepped away from professional baseball.
For roughly three years, Martin worked manual labor, including loading trucks for UPS at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, moving refrigerators for Lowe’s, and stocking washing machines and clothes dryers at an appliance warehouse in Arlington. After a coworker and former high school teammate, Jordan Bostick, urged him to start playing catch again, Martin discovered that his shoulder felt stronger, and he decided to attempt a baseball comeback.
Chris Martin Career
Independent Leagues and Red Sox Development (2010-2013)
In 2010, Martin tried out with the Grand Prairie AirHogs of the independent American Association. He hit 95 mph on the radar gun before manager Pete Incaviglia pulled him aside and signed him on the spot. Martin debuted that night and finished 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA for the AirHogs, earning enough attention for the Boston Red Sox to invite him to a 2011 spring training tryout.
The Red Sox signed Martin to a minor league contract, and he moved through their system with the Greenville Drive of the Single-A South Atlantic League, the Salem Red Sox of the High-A Carolina League, and the Portland Sea Dogs of the Double-A Eastern League. In 2013, working exclusively in relief, he went 5-3 with a 2.25 ERA and five saves across Portland and the Pawtucket Red Sox of the Triple-A International League.
Colorado Rockies (2014)
After the 2013 season, the Red Sox traded Martin and Franklin Morales to the Colorado Rockies for Jonathan Herrera. Martin opened 2014 with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, then made his MLB debut on April 26, 2014, with a scoreless inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was demoted to Colorado Springs in June after recording a 6.89 ERA in 15 and two-thirds innings with the Rockies.
New York Yankees (2015)
On January 13, 2015, the Rockies traded Martin to the New York Yankees for cash considerations. He won a bullpen job out of spring training and recorded his first career save on April 28, 2015, in a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Martin split the year between New York and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, finishing 0-2 with a 5.66 ERA in 24 appearances for the Yankees.
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (2016-2017)
After the 2015 season, the Yankees sold Martin’s contractual rights to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters for $750,000. In 2016 he succeeded Hirotoshi Masui as the Fighters’ closer, made the Pacific League All-Star team, and posted a 1.07 ERA with 21 saves in 52 games. Although an ankle injury kept him out of the 2016 Japan Series, the Fighters won the championship.
He returned to Hokkaido in 2017 on a contract worth about ¥100 million and recorded a 1.19 ERA in 40 appearances. In two seasons in Japan, Martin struck out 91 batters against only 13 walks in 88 and one-third innings, and he credited the Fighters, and especially teammate Shohei Ohtani, with helping him learn the split-finger fastball and a more self-directed preparation routine.
Texas Rangers First Stint (2018-2019)
On December 15, 2017, Martin signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Texas Rangers. In 2018 he logged a 4.54 ERA in 41 and two-thirds innings and later represented MLB in the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series. In 2019 he filled in as the Rangers’ closer while Shawn Kelley was injured, going 3-1 with a 3.08 ERA and a 1.45 ERA from late May through late July.
Atlanta Braves (2019-2021)
On July 30, 2019, the Rangers traded Martin to the Atlanta Braves for Kolby Allard. On September 11 he pitched an immaculate inning against the Philadelphia Phillies, and he finished the year with a 3.40 ERA and four saves in 58 total appearances. A free agent after 2019, he re-signed with Atlanta on a two-year, $14 million deal and posted a 1.00 ERA in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
In 2021, Martin recorded a 3.95 ERA in 46 relief appearances and was a key piece of the bullpen during the Braves’ postseason run, producing a 2.08 ERA in five appearances as Atlanta won the 2021 World Series.
Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers (2022)
On March 17, 2022, Martin signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. He appeared in 34 games with a 4.31 ERA, but recorded a 3.29 ERA after June 17. The Cubs traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 30 for Zach McKinstry, and he went 3-1 with a 1.46 ERA in 26 appearances for Los Angeles.
Boston Red Sox (2023-2024)
On December 8, 2022, Martin signed a two-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. In 2023 he posted a 4-1 record with a 1.05 ERA in 55 appearances before a viral infection ended his season in late September. He spent 2024 as a member of Boston’s bullpen as well, completing his second stint with the organization that first signed him.
Texas Rangers Second Stint (2025-Present)
On January 6, 2025, Martin signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract to return to the Texas Rangers. On July 21, a left calf strain landed him on the injured list, and he returned on September 1 to earn the win in a 7-5, extra-innings victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 49 appearances he went 2-6 with a 2.98 ERA, 43 strikeouts, and two saves in 42 and one-third innings. On December 19, 2025, he re-signed with Texas on a one-year, $4 million contract.
Pitching Style and Strengths
Martin pairs a mid-90s fastball with a slider, a cut fastball, and a splitter that he added during his time in Japan. Listed at 6 feet 8 inches and 215 pounds, he generates difficult angle for hitters, but his defining trait is exceptional control. He has walked roughly 1.1 batters per nine innings across his MLB career, allowing him to thrive in high-leverage relief roles.
Notable Events and Milestones
His MLB debut came on April 26, 2014, with a scoreless inning against the Dodgers, and his first save followed on April 28, 2015, against the Tampa Bay Rays. He pitched an immaculate inning for the Braves against the Phillies on September 11, 2019, and helped Atlanta win the 2021 World Series after previously winning the 2016 Japan Series with the Fighters.
Chris Martin Career Wins
Chris Martin has collected championship rings on two continents, winning the 2016 Japan Series with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and the 2021 World Series with the Atlanta Braves. Across MLB stops with the Rockies, Yankees, Rangers, Braves, Cubs, Dodgers, and Red Sox, he has served primarily as a late-inning reliever, accumulating saves and high-leverage holds while keeping his walk rate among the lowest in the league.
MLB Highlights
Martin recorded his first MLB save with the Yankees on April 28, 2015, and later closed games for Texas in 2019, finishing that year with a 3.08 ERA and four saves across his combined Rangers and Braves work. With Atlanta in 2020 he posted a 1.00 ERA in 19 relief appearances, and in 2021 he was a dependable setup man on the Braves’ World Series-winning staff, working to a 2.08 ERA in five postseason games.
Other Wins and Performances
In the independent American Association, Martin went 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA for the Grand Prairie AirHogs in 2010, the platform that reignited his career. He also pitched his way through the Red Sox minor league system from 2011 to 2013, earning a 2013 Triple-A All-Star nod with a 2.25 ERA and five saves split between Portland and Pawtucket.
Chris Martin Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Chris Martin is the youngest of four children born to Connie and Matt Martin. His older sisters Crystal and Shannon, along with brother Jonathan, all played baseball or softball while growing up, and Crystal later starred at shortstop for the Texas A&M Aggies softball program, earning All-Big 12 Conference recognition.
Personal Life
Martin has credited his family, including his parents Connie and Matt and siblings Crystal, Jonathan, and Shannon, as well as longtime friend Jordan Bostick, with supporting him through his years away from baseball and his eventual return to the mound. He has continued to live and work in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where his professional career first began.
2025 Season Performance
In his return to the Texas Rangers, Martin re-established himself as a trusted late-inning option. He signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract in January and logged 49 appearances out of the bullpen before a left calf strain in July forced a brief stay on the injured list.
After returning in September, Martin picked up a win in relief during a 7-5, extra-innings victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on September 1. For the year he finished 2-6 with a 2.98 ERA, 43 strikeouts, and two saves across 42 and one-third innings, helping stabilize the Texas bullpen.
On December 19, 2025, the Rangers re-signed Martin to a one-year, $4 million contract, locking him in for another season in Arlington as the team builds around its veteran relief core.