Ketel Marte

Ketel Marte is a versatile Arizona Diamondbacks infielder who won NLCS MVP in 2023 en route to a World Series appearance.

Ketel Ricardo Marte Valdez was born on October 12, 1993, in Nizao, in the Peravia province of the Dominican Republic — the same small town that produced fellow major league star Vladimir Guerrero a generation earlier. Like many young Dominican prospects, Marte signed professionally as a teenager, inking a deal with the Seattle Mariners as an international free agent and working his way through their farm system as a switch-hitting infielder known for his instincts and bat control. Marte debuted with Seattle in July 2015, but his career truly took off after Arizona acquired him in a trade following the 2016 season. Installed as the Diamondbacks' everyday second baseman, Marte developed into one of the National League's most well-rounded hitters, combining above-average power with elite plate discipline and the rare ability to hit for a high average from both sides of the plate. Marte's signature moment came during Arizona's improbable run to the 2023 World Series, when he carried an extra-base hit streak deep into October and was named MVP of the National League Championship Series, helping propel a Diamondbacks team that few expected to contend all the way to the Fall Classic. He has since established himself as Arizona's offensive centerpiece and the only true homegrown star to anchor the franchise's lineup through the mid-2020s, earning back-to-back Silver Slugger Awards in 2024 and 2025 and multiple All-Star selections. Versatile enough to handle second base, center field, and shortstop over the course of his career, Marte remains one of the most complete and underrated hitters in the National League.

Switch-hitting utility player with speed and defensive versatility

Elite switch-hitter and Gold Glove defender for Arizona Diamondbacks

• 3x All-Star (2019, 2024, 2025)
• 2x Silver Slugger (2024, 2025)
• NLCS MVP 2023