Infielder John Martinez is coming back to Gainesville.
The Orlando native spent his first year of college with the Florida Gators before transferring to Florida Atlantic University ahead of the 2025 season. He started 110 games for the Owls over the past two seasons, slashing .290/.340/.415.
While a .755 OPS leaves something to be desired at the plate, Martinez is a vacuum in the field and plays a position of need for Florida. With Cade Kurland transferring to LSU, second base is open for the taking. Martinez had a .973 fielding percentage last season and made just six errors. He moves better than Kurland on the dirt and has no injury concerns.
The offense is a work in progress, but there are plenty of positive signs. Martinez dropped his strikeout rate from 19.4% in 2025 to 11.6% last year. His walk rate elevated slightly from 5.5% to 6.6%, and his wRC+ is approaching the league average of 100 while rising from 78 to 88.
Martinez is playing for the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League this summer. He’s off to a 5-for-9 (.556) start over two games and has stolen two bases.
Florida Gators transfer portal movement
Seven Florida arms have entered the transfer portal: McCall Biemiller, Eli Blair, Matthew Jenkins, Rivers Kurland, Cooper Moss, Christian Rodriguez and Cooper Walls (Georgia).
Starting second baseman Cade Kurland is headed to LSU. Infielder Kolt Myers and outfielder Blake Brookins are the two other position players to enter the transfer portal so far.
Florida earned its first transfer commitment from former FGCU catcher Jon Embury, the 2026 ASUN Player of the Year, on June 4, followed by Jacksonville State right-hander Maddox McDougall on June 9. Oregon State southpaw Trey Morris followed pitching coach Rich Dorman to Florida, and Utah State infielder Kyle McDaniel announced his commitment on June 16.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Former Gators infielder transferring back to Florida baseball
Reporting by David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By David Rosenberg, Gators Wire | USA TODAY Network
