Ketel Marte Sets D-backs Franchise Record in First Inning vs Phillies

The Diamondbacks' All-Star sets a franchise record.

Mar 28, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) tosses his bat after walking during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Arizona Diamondbacks star second baseman Ketel Marte watched a sinker come in at the top of the zone from Philadelphia Phillies right-hander and former D-backs teammate Taijuan Walker — and crushed it 107.3 MPH, 406 feet deep to right field.

The Diamondbacks, who had not collectively homered in six games, took a 1-0 lead after Marte's first at-bat of the game. For the 14th time in Marte's career, he had a leadoff homer.

That homer became a franchise milestone. Marte's 14 leadoff homers is the most by any member of the Diamondbacks, past or present, surpassing Chris Young's 13, and five above current teammate Corbin Carroll's nine.

Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte sets franchise record

Apr 5, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) celebrates his two run home run against the Atlanta Braves during the tenth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

Marte, since coming over to Arizona in a trade with the Seattle Mariners, has hit 170 homers in a D-backs uniform. He surpassed 20 by a wide margin in each of the past three seasons as the 32-year-old switch-hitter has developed into one of the most underrated stars in the game.

Marte is no stranger to the record books.

He's been one of the most productive players in D-backs history in his nine-plus seasons with Arizona, amassing over 30 WAR and an OPS of .847 prior to Saturday. He's appeared in three All-Star games (starting two) and has won back-to-back silver slugger awards at second base.

But after an offseason full of trade rumors and uncertainty, Marte has come into 2026 in a bit of a grinding path. He came into Saturday's game against the Phillies hitting just .193/.258/.281 with one homer on the season.

With that said, Marte has hit safely in six of his last eight games. It hasn't been a power surge, necessarily, but he's been making solid contact with the baseball. Prior to Saturday, Marte had an expected batting average (xBA) of .283 — vastly surpassing an actual average below .200.

There's not quite much cause for concern with Marte's production just yet. Arizona would love to see his bat come back around to superstar level again, but he's been taking mostly good swings. It is still quite early in the 2026 season to make any evaluations of regression.

The D-backs' offense has not been the same bread and butter in the early portion of the year. In a surprising twist, Arizona's pitching staff has made up for a relative lack of offense as the D-backs climbed up to an 8-6 record after their opening win against the Phillies.