Leonys Martin | Quick Facts
Full Name | Leonys Martin Tapanes |
Birth Date | March 6th, 1988 |
Birth Place | Corralillo, Villa Clara, Cuba |
Age | 34 Years Old |
Nickname | Ikadi |
Nationality | Cuban- American |
Religion | Not Available |
Education | Not Available |
Horoscope | Pisces |
Father’s Name | Oscar Martin |
Mother’s Name | Not Available |
Siblings | four |
Height | 1.88 m |
Weight | 86 kgs |
Build | Athletic |
Shoe Size | Not Available |
Hair Color | Black |
Eye Color | Brown |
Position | Center Fielder |
League | MLB, NPB |
Throws | Right |
Bats | Left |
Marital Status | Married |
Spouse | Yaimira Martin |
Children | Kristen Martin, Leonys Liam Martin, Jayden Martin |
Profession | Professional Baseball Athlete |
Debut | MLB- September 2nd, 2011
NPB- July 26th, 2019 |
Former Teams | Texas Rangers
Seattle Mariners Chicago Cubs Detroit Tigers Cleveland Indians |
Team | Chiba Lotte Marines |
Net Worth | $100k – $1 million |
Social Media | Twitter, Instagram |
Merch | Autographed Baseball, Cards |
Last Update | July, 2022 |
There’s a famous Babe Ruth quote that goes, “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you behind from playing the game.”
Just like how the quotes state, Leonys Martin never gave up on anything in life, may it be fighting a life-threatening disease or playing baseball in the fields.
Leonys Martin, aka “Ikadi,” is a Cuban-American professional baseball athlete who plays for the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB).
Before playing at the MLB and NPB, Martin initially played for a local Cuban team Villa Clara and represented the Cuban national baseball team.
Furthermore, in this article, we will be providing you with all the insights about Martin’s family, illness, career, and net worth. But, first, let’s peep in some of his quick facts.
Leonys Martin | Childhood, Family, and Education
Leonys, a well-known Cuban-American baseball player, was born on March 6, 1988, in Corralillo, Villa Clara, Cuba. Oscar Martin, his father, was a foreman in a fishing company.
He was the one who taught Leonys how to play baseball when he was a kid. Leonys also has four siblings, three sisters and one brother. Unfortunately, no information about his mother or siblings is available from any source.
We do know, however, that Leony’s parents are divorced, and that his mother and four siblings live in Cuba. His father, on the other hand, lives in Miami.
Martin played shortstop, third base, and second base as a kid before becoming a professional center fielder. On June 25th, 2018, he also became a naturalized US citizen.
Leonys was born under the sun sign Pisces, according to the horoscope. People born under the sign of Pisces are known to be friendly, selfless, and empathetic.
Age, Height, and Body Dimensions
Furthermore, this baseball player has an athletic build, standing at 1.88 m and weighing 86 kg. His physique contributes significantly to his ability to play center field.
Education
Martin has not yet made any information about his educational background public. We do know, however, that he was born and raised in Cuba. As a result, we can assume he attended Cuban educational institutions.
Leonys Martin | Cuban Career and Profession
His early Cuban baseball career was also very successful prior to becoming an MLB professional athlete. At the age of 17, Leonys joined Villa Clara, a baseball team that competes in the Cuban National Series. He also played for the Cuban national baseball team, earning $40 per week.
He batted.326 with 23 doubles, 10 home runs, and 48 RBIs in 2009-2010. And He batted.314 during his five seasons with Villa Clara. Leonys also played for the Cuban national team in the 2006 World Junior Baseball Championship and the 2009 World Port Tournament, which Cuba won.
Because of his outstanding performance during the tournament, he was selected as the World Junior baseball team’s fourth outfielder for the 2009 World Baseball Classic roster. He was the team’s youngest member.
Leonys also represented Cuba in the World Junior Baseball Championship in 2010. Martin left Cuba during the World Junior Baseball Championship in 2010 and traveled to Tokyo before arriving in Mexico. After arriving in Mexico, he successfully requested to become a free agent with Major League Baseball.
The Texas Rangers
Leonys signed a five-year contract worth $15.5 million with the Texas Rangers on May 4th, 2011, after becoming a free agent in the MLB. In addition, he was added to the Rangers’ 40-man roster.
They extended his spring training before assigning him to the Frisco RoughRiders, a Texas League Class AA team of the Rangers.
Leonys was promoted to the Round Rock Express of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in July after batting.348 with a.435 on-base percentage for the Frisco.
For two days, he worked on base running and defense with Rock Express team coach Gary Pettis. Leonys batted.263 with no home runs in 175 at-bats and 17 runs scored during his time with the Express.
Kinsler’s home run was a fantastic moment! pic.twitter.com/knuaJ0e3Cz
April 8, 2013 — Leonys Martin (@leonys27martin)
Leonys was promoted to the major leagues by the Texas Rangers on August 30, 2011. On September 2nd, Martin made his major league debut, recording his first MLB hit against the Boston Red Sox.
Furthermore, Leonys made the Rangers’ 25-man roster in 2013 and started in center field on Opening Day against the Houston Astros. Then, on April 21st, he hit his first major league home run while playing against the Seattle Mariners.
Similarly, Leonys had his first multi-home run game in the major leagues on June 25th, when he hit two solo shots against the New York Yankees. In 2013, he hit.260 and stole 36 bases, both career highs.
He played the entire 2014 season, hitting.274 with 31 stolen bases and a career-high 155 games. Unfortunately, he was injured in 2015 and only played in 95 games.
Mariners of Seattle
After the 2015 season, the Rangers sent Leonys to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Anthony Bass, James Jones, Patrick Kivlehan, and Tom Wilhelmsen.
During his time with the Mariners, he hit a career-high home run in 2016.
Furthermore, on April 23rd, 2017, the Mariners designated Martin for assignment and sent him to Triple-A until a team purchased his contract by the end of July. The Mariners then assigned him to his second assignment on August 23rd.
Tonight was a fantastic team victory!!! Thank you so much to all of the fans, I adore you. Congratulations, Mariners! pic.twitter.com/xcx9o0Ndr8
July 1, 2016 — Leonys Martin (@leonys27martin)
The Chicago Cubs
Martin was acquired by the Chicago Cubs on August 31st, 2017; between the Mariners and the Cubs, Leonys batted.281/.172/.232 in 2017.
Because of his above-average speed and defense, he made the Chicago Cubs’ 2017 playoff roster.
However, on November 6, 2017, the Cubs demoted him to Triple-A and he elected free agency the following day.
Tigers of Detroit
Martin signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers worth $1.75 million on December 5, 2017. On April 19, 2018, he hit his first career grand slam against the Baltimore Orioles.
In addition, on April 25th, he hit a home run in both games of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates. As a result, they are the first Detroit Tigers players to do so.
Furthermore, Leonys was placed on the 10-day disabled list by the Tigers on May 8th due to a hamstring strain. On July 2nd, he was placed on the disabled list for the second time.
Indians of Cleveland
On July 31, 2018, the Detroit Tigers sent Kyle Dowdy and Leonys to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Willi Castro.
Unfortunately, Leonys was placed on the 10-day disabled list by the Indians after nine days due to an undisclosed illness.
He was admitted to the Cleveland Clinic on August 9th and received the best possible care in the Intensive Care Unit.
On August 13th, 201, Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations, announced Leonys was recovering from a potentially fatal bacterial infection. Martin’s return to the fields, he added, is also uncertain.
As a result, on August 22nd, the Indians ruled Leonys out for the remainder of the 2018 season. Furthermore, on October 31st, 2018, Leonys signed a one-year contract with the Indians, with a salary adjustment for the 2019 season.
On July 22nd, 2019, the Indians designated him for assignment. However, he was released by the Indians on June 27th, 2019, shortly after clearing waivers.
Lotte Marines of Chiba
Leonys signed with the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball) Chiba Lotte Marines on July 14th, 2019. He also agreed to a one-year contract extension with the Marines to stay with the team.
Leonys Martin | Japan Stats
Year | WAR | AB | H | HR | BA | R | RBI | SB | OBP | SLG | OPS |
Career | 11.4 | 2532 | 617 | 58 | .244 | 334 | 228 | 126 | .301 | .367 | .668 |
Leonys Martin | Net Worth & Salary
While looking back at Martin’s career contract details, his estimated salary while playing for the Seattle Mariners was around $4 million.
He signed a five-year contract worth $15.5 million with a $5 million signing bonus with Texas Rangers.
Similarly, The Detroit Tigers signed a one-year contract worth $1.75 million with Martin. On the other hand, his salary while playing for other teams is not available from any sources.
After adding up all his career earnings up to 2020, the total amount sums up to approximately $29 million.
Thus, the presumable net worth of Leonys Martin falls around $29 million.
Leonys Martin | Wife and Children
Martin’s wife, Yaimira Martin, was born and raised in Cuba like her husband. But, reportedly, she left Cuba and moved to the USA shortly after Leonys left the country.
Together they have three beautiful children whose names are Kristen Martin, Leonys Liam Martin, Jayden Martin. Kristen is the oldest child.
She turned eight years old on February 9th, 2020. Similarly, Liam was born on April 1st, 2016, and the youngest child was born on March 13th, 2020.
Leonys Martin | Social Media Presence
Martin is quite active on social media. He usually posts about his game highlights. On Instagram, Leonys has around78.9k followers.
Similarly, on Twitter, he has around 44.5k followers. You can follow him on his social media platforms to get the latest news on him.
Interesting Facts about Leonys Martin
Martin’s mother named him after Lionel Riche, an American singer, songwriter, television judge, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and actor. Most importantly, Riche was a favorite musical artist of Martin’s mother.
Leonys Martin | FAqs
Has Leonys recovered from his injury?
Leonys suffered from a life-threatening bacterial infection in 2018. He was admitted to an intensive care unit and was successfully recovered from it.
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