Starling Marte Bio
Starling Javier Marte (born October 9, 1988) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder who has spent more than a decade patrolling the grass in Major League Baseball. A two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner, he is widely respected for combining contact hitting, speed, and steady defense. Marte entered the 2025 season as a free agent after completing a four-year run with the New York Mets, and he later signed with the Kansas City Royals in 2026.
Over the course of his career, Marte has played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins, Oakland Athletics, and New York Mets. In 2021, he led the major leagues with 47 stolen bases. He is the active MLB leader in stolen bases with 361 and in triples with 55, cementing his reputation as one of the most dynamic baserunners of his generation.
Early Life and Background
Starling Javier Marte was born on October 9, 1988, in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. He grew up on the outskirts of the city, where baseball is woven into daily life. When he was nine years old, his mother passed away, and he was raised from that point forward by his grandmother.
The loss shaped his childhood, and his grandmother became his primary caregiver and guiding presence. She remained an important figure in his life until her own death in May 2022. The resilience that carried him through those early years later translated into a driven, calm approach on the baseball field.
Path to Professional Baseball
Marte signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2007, beginning a long climb through the minor leagues. Working primarily as a center fielder, he impressed coaches with his speed and his ability to make consistent contact. In 2010, playing for the Class-A Bradenton Marauders, he batted .315 across 60 games, hit 16 doubles and five triples, and stole 22 bases.
His 2011 season with the Altoona Curve was a breakthrough at the Double-A level. Marte won the Eastern League batting title with a .332 average, was named the Eastern League Rookie of the Year, and collected multiple All-Star honors. He later represented the Pirates at the 2011 All-Star Futures Game and was added to the organization’s 40-man roster in November of that year. These steps set the stage for his major league debut.
Starling Marte Career
Early Career (2012-2013)
The Pittsburgh Pirates promoted Marte to the major leagues on July 26, 2012, making him the first graduate of the Pirates’ Latin American complex in the Dominican Republic to reach the big leagues. In his first at-bat, he hit a home run on the opening pitch from Houston Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel, becoming the third player in franchise history to homer in his debut and the first Pirate to homer on the first pitch of his major league career since 1922. Across 47 games that rookie season, he batted .257 with five home runs and 12 stolen bases.
In 2013, Marte became an everyday player and made his postseason debut during the National League Wild Card Game against the Cincinnati Reds. He hit his first postseason home run in Game 2 of the National League Division Series off Shelby Miller of the St. Louis Cardinals. Over 135 games, he batted .280 with 12 home runs, 35 RBI, and 41 stolen bases, showing the well-rounded skill set that would define his career.
Pittsburgh Pirates Breakthrough (2014-2019)
On March 28, 2014, Marte and the Pirates finalized a six-year, $31 million contract, locking in his long-term future in Pittsburgh. He responded with a strong .291 batting average, 13 home runs, and 30 stolen bases in 135 games. The following season, he won his first Gold Glove Award as the best defensive left fielder in the National League while batting .287 with 19 home runs and 81 RBI across 153 games.
In 2016, Marte earned his first All-Star selection after hitting .316 with 27 stolen bases in the first half of the season. He finished the year with a .311 average, 9 home runs, and 47 stolen bases, and he captured a second consecutive Gold Glove Award. An 80-game suspension in 2017 for a violation of the MLB drug program cost him significant time, but he returned strong, batting .277 with 20 home runs in 2018. In 2019, he became the second player in Pirates history to reach 100 home runs and 200 stolen bases with the franchise, joining only Barry Bonds in that exclusive group.
Journeyman Years (2020-2021)
On January 27, 2020, the Pirates traded Marte to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Just seven months later, on August 31, the Diamondbacks sent him to the Miami Marlins. In a shortened 60-game season split between the two clubs, he batted .281 with 6 home runs and 10 stolen bases. During Game 1 of the 2020 National League Wild Card Series, he suffered a broken left hand when he was hit by a pitch, though the Marlins still earned their first playoff victory since 2003.
Marte rebounded in 2021 with the Marlins, where he was named National League Player of the Week for June 7-13 after batting .500 in seven games. On July 28, the Marlins traded him to the Oakland Athletics, and he finished the year batting .310 with 12 home runs, 55 RBI, and a major-league-leading 47 stolen bases, showcasing the speed that has always been his signature tool.
New York Mets Era (2022-2025)
On November 30, 2021, Marte signed a four-year, $78 million contract with the New York Mets. In 2022, he earned his second All-Star selection after hitting .291 in the first half, then finished with a .292 average, 16 home runs, and 18 stolen bases despite playing through a groin injury. Health issues followed him into 2023, when migraines and another groin problem limited him to 86 games and a .248 average.
Marte returned with a flourish in 2024, hitting the first home run of the Mets’ season on Opening Day against the Milwaukee Brewers. He later recorded his 1,500th career hit and his 150th career home run. In the postseason, he delivered a clutch two-out RBI single in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series to clinch a win over the Brewers, then went 4-for-5 with three doubles and three RBI in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After the season, the Mets announced he would shift into a part-time designated hitter role to help preserve his health, and he later signed with the Kansas City Royals in March 2026.
Driving Style and Strengths
Marte is widely regarded as a five-tool contributor whose strongest attributes are his legs and his bat-to-ball skills. He rarely strikes out, runs the bases with intelligence, and has shown the ability to play above-average defense in both center and left field. His ability to hit for average while providing 15 to 25 home runs and 30-plus stolen bases has made him a classic middle-of-the-lineup table-setter throughout his career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Highlights include his first-pitch home run in his 2012 debut, his 100th home run and 200th stolen base with the Pirates in 2019, his major-league-leading 47 stolen bases in 2021, and his 1,500th career hit in 2024. His walk-off single against the Philadelphia Phillies in 2025 and his standout performance in the 2024 National League Championship Series also stand out as defining moments in his career.
Starling Marte Career Wins
Starling Javier Marte has built a reputation as a consistent winner through his on-base percentage, defensive play, and baserunning. Although individual win totals vary across positions, his career is measured more in accolades, milestones, and consistent All-Star-level play than in raw victory counts.
Major League Highlights
Across his time in Major League Baseball, Marte has earned two All-Star selections and two Gold Glove Awards, all while playing for five different franchises. His 47 stolen bases in 2021 led the major leagues, and he reached 361 career stolen bases and 55 career triples, the most among active players. He is also a two-time Eastern League batting champion and All-Star, a Baseball America Double-A All-Star, and a Topps Double-A All-Star.
Other Wins and Performances
In the minors, Marte was a 2011 Eastern League batting champion, a 2011 Eastern League Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star, and a 2011 Baseball America Double-A All-Star. In the majors, he won National League Player of the Week honors in June 2021 with the Marlins, his first such award since entering MLB.
Starling Marte Family
Family Background and Personal Heritage
Starling Javier Marte was raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. His mother died when he was nine years old, and his grandmother then took over his upbringing. She remained a central figure in his life until her death in May 2022, prompting Marte to take a bereavement leave from the Mets before honoring her memory with a home run in his return game.
Personal Life
Marte has three children, sons Starling Jr. and Smerling and a daughter named Tiana, with his late wife, Noelia Brazoban, who died in May 2020 from a heart attack. In August 2023, he became engaged to Elianny Santana, and the two married in the Dominican Republic in December of that year. He is known to keep his family life largely private while frequently dedicating on-field moments to those he has lost.
2025 Season Performance
Starling Javier Marte entered the 2025 season as a member of the New York Mets, working primarily as a designated hitter to preserve his health. He remained a steady veteran presence in the middle of the lineup, producing contact at-bats and providing occasional power. A highlight came on April 23, when he delivered a walk-off single in the 10th inning against the Philadelphia Phillies to cap a perfect seven-game home stand, the second such home stand in Mets franchise history.
His season was interrupted in July by a right knee bruise that sent him to the injured list, but he returned to the lineup on July 22 and continued to contribute. Even with reduced playing time, he gave the Mets a reliable bat against left-handed pitching and valuable at-bats in late-inning situations. Following the season, he was not retained by New York and reached free agency.
Looking ahead, Marte signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Kansas City Royals, announced on March 2, 2026. The deal gives him a chance to extend his career as a veteran presence and part-time outfielder in Kansas City, while continuing to climb the all-time stolen base leaderboard.
