Baseball award
The
Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award
, commonly referred to as the
Edgar Martinez Award
and originally known as the
Outstanding Designated Hitter Award
, has been presented annually to the most outstanding
designated hitter
(DH) in
Major League Baseball
(MLB) since 1973. The award is voted on by club
beat reporters
,
broadcasters
, and
public relations
departments. The
Associated Press
discontinued the award in 2000, but it was picked up by the
Baseball Writers' Association of America
, which has administered it since.
[1]
All players with a minimum of 100
at bats
at DH are eligible.
[2]
From the award's inception in 1973 until 2019, and in 2021, use of the designated hitter was allowed only in the
American League
(AL).
In September 2004, at Safeco Field (now
T-Mobile Park
) ceremonies in honor of
Edgar Martinez
,
Commissioner
Bud Selig
announced that the award would be renamed for the five-time recipient (1995, 1997?98, 2000?01).
[3]
In an 18-year career with the
Seattle Mariners
, primarily as a designated hitter, Martinez
batted
.312, with 309 career
home runs
and 1,261
runs batted in
.
[4]
In
2020
, Major League Baseball allowed the use of the designated hitter for the
National League
(NL) in addition to the American League, expanding eligibility for the award to designated hitters in either league. The 2020 winner was
Marcell Ozuna
of the
Atlanta Braves
, who became the first-ever winner of the award from the National League.
[5]
In
2021
, MLB returned to only using the designated hitter for the American League, before a new collective bargaining agreement between MLB and
its players' union
allowed the use of the designated hitter in the National League beginning in the
2022 season
.
[6]
David Ortiz
has won the award eight times, more than any other player (2003?2007, 2011, 2013, 2016).
[7]
[8]
Other repeat winners of the award include Martinez himself (five times), three-time winners
Hal McRae
(1976, 1980, and 1982) and
Shohei Ohtani
(2021?2023), and two-time winners
Willie Horton
(1975 and 1979),
Greg Luzinski
(1981 and 1983),
Don Baylor
(1985 and 1986),
Harold Baines
(1987 and 1988),
Dave Parker
(1989 and 1990),
Paul Molitor
(1993 and 1996), and
Nelson Cruz
(2017 and 2019).
[9]
Boston Red Sox
players have won the most Edgar Martinez Awards with eleven.
[1]
In 2021,
Shohei Ohtani
became the first player to win both the Edgar Martinez Award and the
American League MVP
award in the same season.
[10]
He accomplished this feat again after the 2023 season.
[11]
Year
|
The MLB season the award was given
|
Player
(X)
|
Denotes winning player and number of times they had won the award at that point (if more than one)
|
Team
|
The designated hitter's team
|
†
|
Elected to the
Baseball Hall of Fame
|
*
|
Denotes player who is still active
|
BA
|
batting average
|
HR
|
Home runs
|
RBI
|
Runs batted in
|
Italics
|
Indicates player led the AL in that category
|
Italics
|
Indicates player led the NL in that category
|
List of winners
[
edit
]
Hall of Famer
Orlando Cepeda
was the first winner of the award.
David Ortiz
won the award eight times.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- In-line citations
- ^
a
b
"Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award"
. Baseball Almanac
. Retrieved
October 3,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
Bastian, Jordan (December 15, 2009).
"Lind named Outstanding DH of 2009"
.
MLB.com
. Archived from
the original
on December 19, 2009
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
Finnigan, Bob (October 3, 2004).
"Edgar gives tip of the cap in tribute; M's fall to Rangers"
.
The Seattle Times
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
"Edgar Martinez Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
"Ozuna named DH of Year in first look at role"
.
MLB.com
. Retrieved
April 28,
2021
.
- ^
Blum, Ronald (February 8, 2021).
"MLB renews 7-inning doubleheaders, runners on 2nd in extras"
.
Associated Press
. Retrieved
April 28,
2021
.
- ^
a
b
Browne, Ian (December 4, 2007).
"Ortiz wins Edgar Martinez Award"
.
MLB.com
. Archived from
the original
on December 13, 2013
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
David Ortiz ... was the winner of Major League Baseball's Edgar Martinez Award for the fifth straight year.
- ^
a
b
Brown, Ian (December 7, 2011).
"Papi's bounce-back season honored with award"
.
MLB.com
. Archived from
the original
on January 7, 2012
. Retrieved
December 7,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w
x
y
McKelvey, G. Richard (2004).
All bat, no glove: a history of the designated hitter
. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. pp. 180?181.
ISBN
0-7864-1944-X
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
- ^
"Shohei Ohtani Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference
. Sports Reference, LLC
. Retrieved
December 12,
2021
.
- ^
"Three-peat! Ohtani wins Outstanding DH Award again"
.
MLB.com
.
- ^
"Orlando Cepeda Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
"Tommy Davis Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
"Willie Horton Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
"Russell Knows Why"
.
Eugene Register-Guard
. Wire Service Reports. December 3, 1976. p. 2D
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Hal McRae Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
"Honor For Rice"
.
Times-Union
.
United Press International
. December 3, 1977. p. 15
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
- ^
"Jim Rice Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
"Rusty Staub Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
"Horton Comeback Player"
.
Ludington Daily News
.
Associated Press
. January 8, 1980. p. 8
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
"Greg Luzinski Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
"Sports Briefs"
.
Lawrence Journal-World
. Associated Press. November 30, 1982. p. 12
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
- ^
"Dave Kingman Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
Livingstone, Seth (June 23, 1986).
"Red Sox host Yanks series"
.
The Lewiston Journal
. p. 1B
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
"Don Baylor Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
"Harold Baines Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
"Dave Parker Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
"Chili Davis Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
"Dave Winfield Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
"Paul Molitor Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
"Miranda, Brewers reach agreement on contract"
.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
. Associated Press. December 20, 1996. p. 12C. Archived from
the original
on July 14, 2012
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
- ^
"Rafael Palmeiro Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
"Ellis Burks Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
McAdam, Sean (December 14, 2003).
"Winter Baseball Meetings Notebook: A-Rod comments on TV stir up a hornets' nest"
.
The Providence Journal
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
"David Ortiz Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
Horrigan, Jeff (December 12, 2004).
"Baseball; Red Sox notebook; Francona on talk tour"
.
Boston Herald
. p. B.03
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
[
permanent dead link
]
(subscription required)
- ^
"Boston's David Ortiz wins third straight Edgar Martinez Award"
(Press release).
Major League Baseball
. December 21, 2005
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
- ^
"Boston's Ortiz captures fourth straight outstanding DH award"
.
MLB.com
(Press release). December 5, 2006
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
- ^
Fordin, Spencer (December 10, 2008).
"Huff wins Outstanding DH Award"
.
MLB.com
. Archived from
the original
on September 28, 2011
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
- ^
"Aubrey Huff Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Archived from
the original
on September 26, 2011
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
"Adam Lind Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
Fordin, Spencer (November 24, 2010).
"Vlad wins Edgar Martinez Award"
.
MLB.com
. Retrieved
September 28,
2011
.
- ^
"Vladimir Guerrero Statistics and History"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
October 4,
2011
.
- ^
Kaegel, Dick (December 4, 2012).
"Butler earns Martinez Outstanding DH Award"
.
MLB.com
. Archived from
the original
on March 13, 2013
. Retrieved
December 4,
2012
.
- ^
"David Ortiz the unanimous choice for Edgar Martinez Outstanding DH Award"
.
MLB.com
. Retrieved
November 11,
2021
.
- ^
Beck, Jason (December 4, 2014).
"V-Mart named Outstanding DH for first time"
.
MLB.com
. Archived from
the original
on December 9, 2014
. Retrieved
December 4,
2014
.
- ^
Calcaterra, Craig (December 1, 2015).
"Kendrys Morales wins the Edgar Martinez DH of the Year Award"
. NBC Sports
. Retrieved
December 9,
2015
.
- ^
Snyder, Matt (November 30, 2016).
"David Ortiz wins 8th Edgar Martinez DH award, three more than Edgar ever did"
.
CBS Sports
. Retrieved
November 30,
2016
.
- ^
Divish, Ryan (November 30, 2017).
"Mariners' Nelson Cruz voted as the 2017 Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter award winner"
.
Seattle Times
. Retrieved
January 1,
2018
.
- ^
"A's Khris Davis wins Edgar Martinez Award because he actually was a DH"
. Archived from
the original
on November 23, 2018
. Retrieved
November 22,
2018
.
- ^
"Twins' Nelson Cruz named MLB's Outstanding Designated Hitter"
.
Twincities.com
. December 2, 2019
. Retrieved
November 11,
2021
.
- ^
"Marcell Ozuna becomes first National League player to win Designated Hitter of the Year award"
.
Cbssports.com
. Retrieved
November 11,
2021
.
- ^
"Ohtani wins 2021 Edgar Martinez DH Award"
.
MLB.com
. Retrieved
November 29,
2021
.
- ^
"Ohtani honored with 2nd straight Outstanding DH Award"
.
MLB.com
. Retrieved
November 29,
2022
.
- ^
"Three-peat! Ohtani wins Outstanding DH Award again"
.
MLB.com
.
|
---|
Team
| |
---|
Individual
| Annual
| |
---|
Monthly
| |
---|
Weekly
| |
---|
Defunct
| |
---|
|
---|
Other
| |
---|
|