Dennis Martinez

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Martinez became the bench coach for the Rays in 2008, under manager Joe Maddon, helping mold a young, athletic team into an American League champion. When Maddon took the helm of the Cubs after the 2014 season, Martinez followed as his right-hand man, and together they broke a 108-year championship drought in 2016. The Nationals hired Martinez as their manager after the 2017 season, and in just his second year at the helm, he guided a gritty, resilient club through a wild-card run to a stunning 2019 World Series title. Martinez spent eight seasons with the Nationals before his firing in the middle of the 2025 season.

In Their Own Story

The Washington Nationals elected not to extend manager Dusty Baker's contract after a second consecutive season in which the Nationals reached the National League Division Series and lost in five games (in 2016 to the Los Angeles Dodgers; in 2017 to Martinez's Cubs). Martinez was one of just a handful of candidates mentioned for the open managerial job. On October 30, 2017, the Nationals announced they had come to terms with Martinez on a three-year manager contract starting with the 2018 season, with a club option for the 2021 season. Martinez returned to the Expos/Nationals franchise — a homecoming of sorts, after playing with the club from 1988 to 1991, when it still called Montreal home. He earned his first win as a major league manager in his first career game managed, as the Nationals shut out the Cincinnati Reds 2–0 on March 30, 2018, to begin the season.

Reader's Guide

**Playing career:** Martinez played in MLB for the Cubs, Montreal Expos, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Atlanta Braves from 1986 to 2001. He finished with a .276 career batting average, 1,599 hits, 91 home runs, 795 runs scored, and 580 runs batted in. He etched his name in expansion history by recording the first hit in Tampa Bay Devil Rays history in 1998. By playing for four MLB teams in one season (2000), Martinez tied the record for most teams played for in a single season since 1901. He is also one of the few players to have suited up for both Canadian MLB franchises, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Montreal Expos. **Coaching career:** Martinez worked for the Tampa Bay Rays as a spring training instructor in 2006 and 2007. On October 11, 2007, the Rays hired him as their bench coach, where he took charge of defensive positioning and drilled players on bunting and baserunning. The Rays won the American League championship in 2008 and advanced to the 2008 World Series, which they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2016, Martinez was part of the Cubs' coaching staff that led the team to winning the 2016 World Series, breaking a 108-year long drought. **Managerial career:** The Nationals hired Martinez as their manager after the 2017 season. He won the 2019 World Series in his second season, cementing his legacy as a leader who could rally a team through adversity.

Did You Know?

• Martinez recorded the first hit in Tampa Bay Devil Rays history in 1998.
• By playing for four MLB teams in one season (2000), Martinez tied the record for most teams played for in a single season since 1901.
• Martinez is one of the few players to play for both major league Canadian teams, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Montreal Expos.
• Martinez earned his first win as a major league manager in his first career game managed, a 2–0 shutout of the Cincinnati Reds on March 30, 2018.
• Martinez was part of the Cubs' coaching staff that won the 2016 World Series, breaking a 108-year championship drought.