MINNESOTA TWINS TOP 10 PROSPECTS
1. AUSTIN MARTIN, OF/SS
AGE: 23. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-0. WT: 185. DRAFTED: Vanderbilt, 2020 (1st round). SIGNED BY: Nate Murrie (Blue Jays).
TRACK RECORD: A standout collegian and All-American at Vanderbilt, Martin was in the conversation to be the No. 1 over-all pick in the 2020 draft. The Blue Jays were excited to see him fall to No. 5 overall, where they signed him for $7,000,825—the second-biggest bonus of the class. The Blue Jays traded Martin plus righthander Simeon Woods Richardson to the Twins for righthander Jose Berrios near the 2021 trade deadline. Martin made his pro debut at Double-A and showed excellent on-base ability, albeit while slugging just .382 in 92 games. He also faces questions about his future defensive home.
Martin developed a reputation as one of the best pure hitters in his draft class, and that hitting ability and on-base skill creates a strong foundation for his value as a player. Scouts noted that Martin’s bat path got longer and his hand load got more complicated, which created some timing issues in 2021 compared to a simple and quick-firing path in college. He continued to show above-average bat speed, but scouts internally and externally wonder how much Martin’s power will grow. His exit velocities were below-average and he totaled just 25 extra-base hits in 418 plate appearances. Gaining more strength and hitting the ball with authority more frequently will determine whether Martin becomes an impact regular or more of an average, everyday type player. His best offensive attributes are his plate discipline and batting eye. He rarely
