Ozzie Martinez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #9 prospect in 2012
  After he took a step backward in 2011, the Marlins gave up Martinez as part of the compensation package for manager Ozzie Guillen. They didn't help his development by promoting him twice for a total of six weeks early in the season and giving him just 20 at-bats. He took three bullets in a September 2009 drive-by shooting but recovered to play in the 2010 Futures Game. Martinez lasted as long as he did in the majors because of his defense. He has soft hands and a strong arm, and he uses his first-step quickness to get to a lot of balls. He's a true shortstop who's capable of handling second and third base as well. While Martinez' glove is ahead of his bat, he has a level swing and a good two-strike approach. He's never going to hit for much power but has shown signs of the bat control necessary to handle advanced pitching. He's an aggressive baserunner with slightly above-average speed. Alexei Ramirez blocks Martinez's path in Chicago, just as Hanley Ramirez did in Florida. The White Sox will give him a long look at second base, where Gordon Beckham has stagnated. Martinez will have to show more with the bat to avoid being tagged as a utiltyman.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #5 prospect in 2011
  Martinez got a new perspective on life after taking three bullets in a September 2009 drive-by shooting in his native Puerto Rico. After representing the Marlins in the Futures Game last July, he helped Jacksonville capture the Southern League title and earned his first big league callup. He batted .326 in September, with his first hit coming off Chris Carpenter. Martinez sprays line drives from gap to gap with a level swing. He won't hit a lot of home runs, though he does have the strong hands to collect his share of doubles. He profiles as a solid No. 2 hitter because he has excellent hand-eye coordination and controls the strike zone well. More quick than fast, he's was caught nine times in 22 steal attempts last year. At shortstop, Martinez's best asset is his strong arm. He anticipates well and shows good instincts and soft hands. Florida loves his all-around game and the way he doesn't let anything intimidate him. Hanley Ramirez is blocking his path at shortstop, which could push Martinez to second base. At worst, he should be a quality utilityman capable of playing almost anywhere on the diamond. He figures to spend much of 2011 in Triple-A, getting time at other positions to enhance his versatility.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #30 prospect in 2010
  Martinez is a lucky man. Shot three times in a drive-by, mistaken-identity shooting on Sept. 30 in his hometown of Carolina, Puerto Rico, he not only survived but is expected to make a full recovery that will enable him to resume a promising baseball career. Finally given a chance to play every day, Martinez took a big leap forward in 2009. He puts the ball in play thanks to excellent hand-eye coordination but needs to draw more walks because he has limited power. He swings hard and makes the most of his strong hands and forearms. He has learned to punish mistake offspeed pitches and projects to hit .265 with 10-15 homers annually should he reach the majors. He doesn't have blazing speed but has proven to be a smart basestealer. Martinez lacks quick feet, but he makes up for that at shortstop with positioning and anticipation. His plus arm and instincts help as well. Coachable and fearless, he's the sort of leader whom teammates gravitate toward.

• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  After he took a step backward in 2011, the Marlins gave up Martinez as part of the compensation package for manager Ozzie Guillen. They didn't help his development by promoting him twice for a total of six weeks early in the season and giving him just 20 at-bats. He took three bullets in a September 2009 drive-by shooting but recovered to play in the 2010 Futures Game. Martinez lasted as long as he did in the majors because of his defense. He has soft hands and a strong arm, and he uses his first-step quickness to get to a lot of balls. He's a true shortstop who's capable of handling second and third base as well. While Martinez' glove is ahead of his bat, he has a level swing and a good two-strike approach. He's never going to hit for much power but has shown signs of the bat control necessary to handle advanced pitching. He's an aggressive baserunner with slightly above-average speed. Alexei Ramirez blocks Martinez's path in Chicago, just as Hanley Ramirez did in Florida. The White Sox will give him a long look at second base, where Gordon Beckham has stagnated. Martinez will have to show more with the bat to avoid being tagged as a utiltyman.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: After Martinez took a step back in 2011, the Marlins sent him to Chicago as part of the compensation package for manager Ozzie Guillen. They didn't help his development by promoting him twice for a total of six weeks early in the season and giving him just 20 at-bats. He took three bullets in a September 2009 drive-by shooting but recovered to play in the 2010 Futures Game.Scouting Report: Martinez lasted as long as he did in the majors because of his defense. He has soft hands and a strong arm, and he uses his first-step quickness to get to a lot of balls. He's a true shortstop who's capable of handling second and third base as well. While Martinez' glove is ahead of his bat, he has a level swing and a good two-strike approach. He's never going to hit for much power but has shown signs of the bat control necessary to handle advanced pitching, batting .302 in Double-A and .326 in Florida in 2010. He's an aggressive baserunner with slightly above-average speed. The Future: Martinez could get a look at second base, where Chicago is looking for someone to push Gordon Beckham, or third, where Brent Morel ended up with a .653 OPS last year. He'll have to show more with the bat to avoid being tagged as a utiltyman.