Overview
Rating: 8.43
2025 Stats: 4.4 bWAR, .283 BA, 28 HR, .893 OPS, 145 wRC+
Date of Birth: Oct 12, 1993 (32 YO)
2025 Salary: $14,000,000
2026 Status: under contract through 2031
2025 Review
2025 was ultimately a tale of two halves for the superstar second baseman Ketel Marte. Before the All-Star break, he looked every bit the MVP candidate who has anchored the Diamondbacks’ lineup in recent years. Despite straining his hamstring just eight games into the season—costing him most of April—and dealing with an unfortunate
fan incident in Chicago, Marte still slugged 19 home runs with a .961 OPS in the first half. He was dominant.
After the break, however, Marte appeared somewhat affected by lingering off-field issues from that period. While he remained a high-level performer in the second half, his production dipped to a more mortal .816 OPS, well below his blistering first-half pace. Still solidly above average, but it’s fair to speculate that the surrounding commotion may have served as a distraction for the star player—something entirely understandable given the circumstances.
The tension peaked in mid-August when Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported grumbling in the clubhouse over the All-Star break drama and Marte’s requests for days off. My goal here isn’t to rehash old controversies, but context matters: these off-field challenges likely influenced his second-half performance to some degree. After all, we’re evaluating human beings, not robots.
Through it all—the injury that sidelined him for weeks, the fan incident, and the ensuing drama—Marte still emerged as one of baseball’s elite hitters. He finished with an OPS just shy of .900 and posted one of the top xwOBA marks in the game, a remarkable feat under the circumstances.
Unfortunately, the off-field noise hasn’t fully subsided. This offseason, Marte has been the subject of persistent trade speculation, fueled largely by his impending 10-and-5 rights in 2026 and the Diamondbacks’ tight financial situation amid pitching needs and injuries. Every rumor seems to revisit the midseason clubhouse reports. Here’s hoping GM Mike Hazen doesn’t find a suitable deal, Marte remains a Diamondback, and this chapter finally closes.
2026 Outlook
I’m wholeheartedly hoping Ketel Marte suits up as an Arizona Diamondback to start 2026. He’s a dynamic force who brings energy and presence to the lineup, and he’s simply thrilling to watch. With a clean slate—no lingering off-field drama or trade rumors—I firmly believe Marte could reach even greater heights, which is a terrifying proposition for opposing pitchers.
If he’d maintained his first-half pace throughout 2025, we’re talking about a legitimate MVP challenger to Shohei Ohtani. For the Diamondbacks to contend and make a playoff push in 2026, they’ll need that version of Marte: the MVP-caliber cornerstone. His underlying metrics remain elite—he barrels the ball with authority, continues improving his plate discipline by drawing more walks and striking out less—and point to sustained excellence.
Here’s to 2026 with Ketel Marte anchoring the heart of the Diamondbacks’ order, burying the clubhouse reports and trade chatter once and for all. Arizona is unequivocally a better team with him in the lineup.
