Victor Martinez hits milestone for the first time

At 35 years young, Victor Martinez remains quite the force at the heart of the Detroit Tigers’ lineup. Prior to today’s game against Kansas City, V-Mart is batting .335; good enough for second in baseball behind Jose Altuve. His .404 on base percentage is tops in the majors this season, and his .970 OPS is second only to Jose Abreu. Despite what many are calling a career year for Martinez, those familiar with the game are aware that this season is just business as usual for the 5 time all star.

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However, for all the consistency he has provided throughout his playing days, on Friday night Martinez achieved a single season benchmark that had eluded him up to this point. The .306 career hitter and 2014 American League MVP candidate surpassed the 30 HR/100 RBI plateau with a single that drove in teammate Miguel Cabrera in the first inning of Detroit’s 10-1 victory over Kansas City.

With the hit, Martinez becomes the 3rd oldest player in Major League Baseball history to reach 30 HR and 100 RBIs in the same season for the first time. The only two men to accomplish said feat at a later age are hall of famer Carlton Fisk (37) in 1985, and Edgar Martinez (37) in 2000. During these final weeks of the regular season, Detroit is in need of all the lineup production it can receive, especially with Miguel Cabrera’s power numbers taking a dip this year. The Tigers currently sit at 85-64 and lead the Royals for the Central Division crown by 1.5 games heading into today’s match up.

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