Daniel Martínez, a right-handed pitcher for the Toros de Tijuana, was named the 2026 Pitcher of the Year in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol.
Martínez's 1.94 ERA is the best for a Pitcher of the Year winner in the LMB since Andre Rienzo's 0.76 ERA with the Acereros de Monclova in 2018. A native of Fontana, California, Martinez pitcher finished the 2026 season with the Tijuana Toros with a 7-1 record in 17 starts, throwing 88 1/3 innings. He walked 32 and struck out 70, led the league in WHIP with 1.03 mark and held opposing batters to a .189 average, the best mark in the league among qualified pitchers.
He is the 24th pitcher in LMB history to win the ERA title in his first year in the league, joining Raymond Taylor (1939, Córdoba), Vidal López (1943, Monterrey), Adrián Zabala (1944, Puebla), Max Lanier (1946, Veracruz), Humberto García (1954, Yucatán), Fred Waters (1955, Tigres), Silvio Castellanos (1960, El Águila), James Horsford (1968, Reynosa), Juan Pizarro (1974, Córdoba), Gary Ryerson (1976, Tampico), Barry Bass (1986, Monterrey), Dave Walsh (1988, Nuevo Laredo), Guy Normand (1990, Monclova), Odell Jones (1991, Industriales), Dan Serafini (2003, Monterrey), Hansel Izquierdo (2006, Córdoba), Juan Pablo Oramas (2009, Mexico), Paul Oseguera (2013, Reynosa), Edgmer Escalona (2015, Saltillo), André Rienzo (2018.2, Monclova), Luis Escobar (2021, Tabasco), Yohander Méndez (2022, Monterrey), and Carl Edwards Jr. (Tigres, 2025).
Martínez won the award over Antonio Santos (Pericos), Adonis Medina (Toros), Noah Skirrow (Toros), Ronnie Williams (Leones/Olmecas), Zac Grotz (Charros), Wilmer Font (Saraperos), Daniel Mengden (Tecos/Sultanes), Austin Warner (Olmecas), Jake McSteen (Acereros), Joan Adon (Caliente) and Luis Fernando Miranda (Guerreros).