MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — When Jason Martin was at Orange Lutheran High School in California, he was known for his speed. But he soon found out he would need more than speed to compete with professional ballplayers after being drafted as a 17-year-old prospect by the Houston Astros in the eighth round of the 2013 MLB Draft.
It took him around three years to figure out what exactly he needed to add to his game, but he said he's thankful a hitting coach in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, brought it out of him.
He needed power.
“In high school working up to the draft, I always had good speed so that was pretty much what my game was. But then around 2016 I started to notice I was growing into my body and I was using it in ways I hadn’t before,” Martin said as the Indianapolis Indians enjoyed a day off Monday before hitting the road to Louisville. “I was getting the ball up in the air and was letting it fly a little more. That’s when I became a dual threat.”
In 50 games of rookie ball out of high school, Martin didn't hit a single home run and slugged only two doubles. In 2016 in Advanced-A ball, he put 23 over the fence. He followed that up with 18 in 2017 and 13 in 2018.
He needed comfort with his swing, he said, something he’d been working on from the time he was drafted. His initial swing was clunky, and he worked to iron it out. But it wasn’t all about home-run power. He now knew, he said, that he could put balls into the gap and use his speed to carry him around the bases and put himself in scoring position.
His improved prowess with the bat, among other reasons, earned him a spot on the Pirates roster earlier this season after he was traded from the Astros organization in the Gerrit Cole trade last year.
If you didn’t know, Martin was all smiles about the call-up.
He hit .229 with two doubles in 35 at-bats with the big-league club before being sent back down to Triple-A May 1. In 15 games with the Tribe, he’s hitting .224 with two homers, two triples and three doubles, but he expects better of himself, he said.
“My season got off to a really exciting start, being able to make my debut and seeing a little taste of the big leagues. To see first-hand that I could play at that level, it was real exciting. Now, being back in Triple-A, I haven't gotten off to the start I wanted to,” he said. “But I feel like I’m right there at the brink. I’ve been hitting balls hard, but some aren't falling. That’ll come with time, getting back into the swing of things.”
Martin said he’s taken the move back to Triple-A in stride and knows he has areas to work on. It’s all part of the game, he said.
“I had no negativity. Obviously everyone wants to be in the big leagues, but going up sooner than I expected this year and getting a little taste, it put things into perspective,” he said. “After getting the call to go back down, I’m still excited that the big leagues are in my future.”
Offensively, Martin said he learned to stay consistent in his routine, which focuses on keeping his lower half “working the way it should” and swinging at good pitches. Defensively, reading the ball better off the bat instead of relying on speed to put him in position to make a play will help, too, he said.
Oh, and his speed still plays a factor.
“With my speed, I’m always able to think double out of the box,” he said. “It’s something that helps the game tremendously, taking advantage of outfielders if they aren’t playing where they should be.”
Martin said he's working on his bunting, too, to keep opposing defenses at bay, drawing them in and then being able to “shoot balls past them.”
But mainly?
“Staying positive,” he said. “Being able to go up there and seeing some of the best hitters struggle at the plate just puts things into perspective. We’re all human and we’re all gonna make mistakes. But one thing they do really well in the big leagues is keep a level head. They’re able to show up every day knowing that you’re there and that you belong. Struggles come with the game, so you’ve got to take it as it comes and pick little things here and there to get yourself back up when things aren’t going so well.”
Martin said his journey is far from over, so I asked him to sum up his game with a self-scouting report. He wasn’t shy to identify what he believes will help bring him back to a major league ball club.
“When I’m where I want to be, I’m able to line the ball in the gap and get extra-base hits and then put some balls out of the park. I’ve got a mixture of power and speed — electric, kind of,” he said. “Driving the ball, stealing bases, just being all over the place. That’s what I have the opportunity to do when everything’s clicking.”
TRIBE’S TOP HITTERS
Here’s who I’ve identified as the Indians’ top hitters over the past week:
Trayvon Robinson, OF — 4-for-11 (.363), two home runs, six RBIs
Kevin Kramer, INF — 8-for-22 (.363), two doubles, four RBIs with a stolen base
Jose Osuna, OF — 5-for-21 (.238), one double, one home run, four RBIs
TRIBE’S TOP PITCHERS
Top starting performance: Mitch Keller picked up his fourth win of the season after tossing 6.0 innings against Scranton-Wilkes Barre last Monday. He allowed just two earned runs on three hits while striking out eight. He’s 4-0 on the season with a 3.83 ERA.
Top reliver: Jake Brentz picked up two saves on the week, allowing a single hit in 2.0 innings of work — an inning in each appearance. He struck out three and didn’t allow a single run. He hasn’t allowed a run in three appearances since moving up to Triple-A.
THE ROSTER MOVES/INJURIES
5/17: C Jacob Stallings ends MLB rehab assignment, designated for assignment by Pittsburgh and outrighted to Indianapolis.
RHP Geoff Hartlieb has contract selected by Pittsburgh.
5/15: LHP Tyler Lyons outrighted by Pittsburgh (5/12), active in Indianapolis. He is wearing #49.
RHP Matt Eckelman transferred from Indianapolis to Double-A Altoona (travel day).
5/14: UTIL Jake Elmore has contract selected by Pittsburgh (5/13).
OF Lonnie Chisenhall begins MLB rehab assignment with Indianapolis. He is wearing No. 13.
RHP Dovydas Neverauskas optioned by Pittsburgh (5/12), active in Indianapolis.
INF Erich Weiss released.
LHP Jake Brentz is now wearing No. 47.
THE RESULTS/SCHEDULE
The Indians went 4-2 over the past seven days, bringing their overall record to 22-18. The Tribe outscored opponents 31-28, picking up series wins against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Norfolk — all at home. A six-game road swing begins Tuesday with a three-game series against Louisville, followed by three games with Columbus.
INDY FUN THING
I enjoy following the Indians' social team. They took a highlight play and made it into a solid thread of tweet here:
This highlight is thread worthy: pic.twitter.com/N4aC5DOe5X
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) May 19, 2019
