Jason Martinson

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Washington Nationals #14 prospect in 2013
  Martinson arrived at Texas State on a football scholarship, but he tore his hamstring on his first catch as a wide receiver and decided to focus on baseball. He has made plenty of progress on the diamond at Texas State and in pro ball, but he remains a long-term project with impressive raw tools. After he struck out 144 times in 2011, the Nationals sent him back to low Class A last year to work on his approach, and they promoted him after he made strides in that department. Martinson has plenty of bat speed and leverage in his swing, translating to solid power potential. He can backspin balls out of the park from right-center to left field, but he'll get into funks where he pulls off balls on the outer half, chases sliders out of the zone and passively lets fastballs go by. An above-average runner, Martinson is an accomplished basestealer. His quickness also plays at shortstop, where he has good range and actions. He has a slightly above-average arm, but he needs to do a better job attacking grounders rather than letting the ball play him. He also has seen action at third base. Already 24, Martinson still has plenty of rough edges to smooth out, but he has the tools to be an everyday shortstop. He faces a crucial year in 2013, when he'll likely head back to high Class A after struggling there last season.
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  Ranked Washington Nationals #25 prospect in 2012
  Martinson arrived at Texas State on a football scholarship, but he tore his hamstring on his first catch as a wide receiver and decided to focus on baseball. Because of his two-sport background, he remains raw on the baseball field. However, his power came alive in the second half of his first full season in 2011, when he slugged 14 of his 19 homers at Hagerstown. Martinson excels at driving fastballs to right-center field and pulling offspeed pitches to left. The Nationals want him to become more aggressive in hitter's counts. He tends to get to his front side too quickly, then dropping his hands and casting his barrel, leading to high strikeout totals. He worked hard to stay balanced and shorten his swing in instructional league, but he has a long way to go before he starts hitting for average. His plus raw power potential is exciting, though he's still learning to harness it. While Martinson's athleticism, solid range and arm strength play at shortstop, he stills needs a lot of polish defensively. Many of his 33 errors last year came after he misread balls, then made off-balance, inaccurate throws. He's a slightly above-average runner with a decent feel for stealing bases. The Nationals compare him to another former football player, Mark DeRosa, but Martinson has a long way to go to put everything together. He'll move on to high Class A this year.
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  Ranked Washington Nationals #22 prospect in 2011
  Martinson arrived at Texas State on a football scholarship, but he tore his hamstring on his first catch as a wide receiver and then decided to focus on baseball. After hitting .153 as a freshman, he made great strides over his next two seasons, playing his way into the fifth round of the 2010 draft and a $174,000 bonus. Wiry strong and athletic, Martinson has quick hands and should be able to drive balls into the gaps, with occasional home run pop. He must improve at recognizing breaking balls and laying off pitches out of the zone. He also needs to shorten his swing a bit and focus on using the middle of the field instead of getting pull-happy. His bat speed and hand-eye coordination give him a chance to hit for a solid average as he matures. Martinson also has the hands and actions for shortstop, but he needs to refine his footwork and become more consistent. He has above-average arm strength and throws with minimal effort. He's a slightly above-average runner. Martinson is ultra-competitive and plays the game with an edge. His upside is that of an everyday shortstop, but he has plenty of rough edges to polish before he'll be ready for the upper levels of the game. He'll advance to low Class A in 2011.