Baseball fans might soon witness something special coming from an unexpected baseball pipeline—France. Ernesto Martinez Jr., a towering 6-foot-6 left-handed slugging first baseman, has begun his 2025 campaign on the doorstep of MLB. He’s now playing for the Nashville Sounds, which is the Milwaukee Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate.
While there have been French-born players in MLB history, Martinez’s background would bring something different to the table for a game actively trying to grow its global appeal.
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France’s Emerging Baseball Talent
Martinez’s journey is far from conventional. Born in Cuba, he’s the son of Ernesto Martinez Sr., a former Cuban national baseball champion who finished his playing career in France. The younger Martinez’s baseball roots run deep—he was part of Cuba’s 15U world championship team in 2014 before relocating to France to join his father and play for the youth team in Toulouse.
Martinez has represented France in international competition since 2016 while simultaneously climbing through the Milwaukee Brewers’ farm system after signing with the organization in 2017. His methodical progression through the minor leagues has culminated in this recent promotion to Triple-A.
Ernesto Martinez’s Potential Impact in Nashville
Martinez isn’t just another minor leaguer—he’s quickly establishing himself as a legitimate offensive threat. He entered 2025 as the Brewers’ 30th-best prospect, according to MLB.com. His Triple-A debut with the Sounds has showcased some power, blasting two home runs in his first three games.
More recently, he was named the International League’s Player of the Week after a stretch where he hit .529 with two home runs and eight RBI over a six-game span.
Breaking Out With Elite Power
What makes Martinez particularly intriguing as a prospect is his power. After being limited to just five homers in 28 games during the 2022 season, he’s shown an ability to leave the ballpark more consistently over the past two seasons. Martinez slugged 12 dingers through 394 plate appearances in 2023 before setting a new career-high mark in 2024.
While playing more than he ever has in a single season (110 games and 457 plate appearances), Martinez posted impressive numbers. Some included a .284/.365/.466 line with 13 homers, 30 doubles, 62 RBI, 52 runs scored, and 20 steals. His 2025 campaign is off to an even better start in Nashville. The slugger has posted a .303/.390/.485 line with five extra-base hits (one double, one triple, and three homers) and 13 RBI through his first 18 games (77 plate appearances.
The Brewers’ First Base Situation
Martinez’s emergence comes at an interesting time. First base is currently manned by Rhys Hoskins, who is playing in the second season of a two-year, $34 million deal he signed with Milwaukee. His first 92 plate appearances of the season have resulted in a .844 OPS with three homers and 12 RBI.
Without an obvious clear path to getting consistent at-bats at the big-league level, Martinez will probably rack up most of his playing time in Triple-A this season, a level he’s never experienced before. But if he keeps on hitting, you never know when a potential promotion could come depending on the Brewers’ future roster needs.
Milwaukee is also hovering around .500 at the time of this writing. If they don’t get things in gear and become a seller ahead of the trade deadline, Hoskins could be a potential target for contending teams.
A Future Representative of French Baseball?
What makes Martinez’s potential MLB arrival significant is his unique status as a player who developed within the French baseball system. While there have been MLB players born in France, they typically didn’t develop their baseball skills within the country. Martinez represents the growth of baseball in a country where the sport has minimal infrastructure.
Brewers assistant director of player development Brenton Del Chiaro describes him with the nickname “El espectáculo” (The Show or The Spectacle), highlighting both his impressive physical tools and his energetic playing style.
It’ll be interesting to follow Martinez’s progress in Nashville over the coming weeks and months. With his power potential and the Brewers’ current situation, we could be witnessing the rise of a player reaching the big leagues from a unique background. For a sport constantly looking to grow its global appeal, having a player like Martinez make his MLB debut would be great.
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