Nick Martinez Continues Historic Start to Season Against Yankees
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The Tampa Bay Rays didn’t receive much positive feedback when it was announced that they had signed veteran pitcher Nick Martinez to a one-year, $13 million deal at the outset of spring training.
Analysts graded the move poorly, believing it was a waste of resources for a Rays team that doesn’t spend a lot of money. Entering the final week of May, those people have been eating crow throughout the regular season.
Anyone who doubted the addition of Martinez has been proven wrong. The veteran right-hander has been one of the best pitchers in baseball thus far in 2026, continuing his success against the New York Yankees.
In Game 1 of a massive series between the American League East rivals, Martinez did everything he could to keep his team in the game. He surrendered only one across six innings of work, navigating some real jams.
Nick Martinez kept up historic start to season against Yankees
The Yankees were able to consistently get people on base, recording nine hits and drawing one walk against Martinez. But, they were only able to scratch across one run, which ultimately proved to be the difference.
He wasn’t part of the decision, but the Rays mounted another impressive late-game comeback to steal a victory away from New York. They won 4-2, scoring all of their runs in the top of the eighth inning in a frame that started with an error by former Tampa Bay player, Jose Caballero.
DeLOOK WHAT YOU MADE HIM DO pic.twitter.com/kxFXXhI4ZO
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 22, 2026
With that performance on the mound, Martinez continued his historic start to the 2026 season. As shared by the Rays' official account on X in the game notes ahead of the matchup on May 22, he has accomplished something no pitcher has ever done in franchise history.
Entering the game against the Yankees, Martinez had made nine starts with a 1.51 ERA, giving up nine earned runs in 53.2 innings. That was the second-lowest ERA amongst qualified starting pitchers in the MLB.
It was also the lowest ERA for a traditional starting pitcher through the first nine games with Tampa Bay in franchise history, while also being the lowest across the first nine starts for a traditional starting pitcher during any season the Rays have existed.
Some ✍️ before the series starts pic.twitter.com/ObeljH3zm6
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) May 22, 2026
Martinez has now gone 10 straight starts in which he has allowed two or fewer earned runs. He was one of only two players who were at least 35 years old to accomplish the feat through nine games since 1900, when the Modern Era began.
His performance is a big reason why Tampa Bay has the best record in the AL at 34-15, looking like a legitimate World Series contender.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.