The trade that brought Pedro Martínez to Montreal before the 1994 season is a landmark moment in Expos history. Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for second baseman Delino DeShields, this slender right-hander with an explosive, whip-like delivery quickly defied the idea that he was too slight to handle the physical demands of a major league starter. Over four remarkable summers in Quebec, Martínez evolved his raw, high-velocity pitches into a dominant force in the major leagues.
His debut before the Olympic Stadium crowd was immediately memorable. In the challenging 1994 season, Martínez served as a crucial yet overlooked driver for the remarkable Expos team, which led Major League Baseball with a 74–40 record before the players' strike unexpectedly ended their championship hopes. That summer, he posted an 11–5 record, demonstrating that his powerful fastball and developing changeup could consistently deceive top major league hitters.
As the organization was gradually compelled to dismantle its core due to increasing financial constraints, Martínez individually took on the burden of carrying the franchise. He achieved his first career All-Star selection in 1996 with 222 strikeouts, but this was just a preview of the extraordinary, record-breaking performance he delivered in 1997.
That 1997 campaign remains one of the most exceptional single-season pitching performances ever observed on a Major League mound. Martínez entirely incapacitated National League batters, transforming the strike zone into his personal domain. He achieved a remarkable 17–8 record while leading the major leagues with a microscopic, modern-era 1.90 ERA and delivering an extraordinary league-high of 13 complete games. He employed precise, high-pressure command to record an impressive 305 strikeouts over 241.1 innings, becoming the first right-handed pitcher since Walter Johnson in 1912 to reach the 300-strikeout threshold with an ERA below 2.00. This outstanding, elite performance designated him as the first—and only—pitcher in Montreal Expos history to be awarded the National League Cy Young Award.
Just as he established himself as a global superstar, the harsh realities of Montreal's small-market economics forced a change. Recognizing they lacked the financial means to offer their young star a market-value contract extension, the front office traded their key player to the Boston Red Sox in November 1997. Martínez would go on to achieve immortal status in baseball in New England, but the foundation of his legendary peak was laid during his time with the Expos.
Martínez was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. As an Expo, he played 118 games (117 starts), with a 55–33 record, 3.06 ERA, and 1.09 WHIP. He pitched 797.1 innings, with 20 complete games, eight shutouts, 843 strikeouts, and a 135 ERA+.
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