Richie Martin

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #14 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: A well-regarded college shortstop at Florida, Martin came as advertised defensively in pro ball, yet he had failed to produce offensively in his first three seasons in the Athletics' system. That changed at Double-A Midland in 2018, when Martin hit .300 to rank third in the Texas League batting race. He also established career highs for home runs (six), doubles (29), stolen bases (25) and walks (44). The Orioles selected him with the first pick in the 2018 Rule 5 draft.
  
  Scouting Report: After years of tinkering with his swing, Martin found a setup that worked for him and he stuck with it. He also updated his contact lens prescription in the offseason. The timing of Martin's breakout season was unusual because he missed spring training while recovering from meniscus surgery on his right knee, and then he missed time in April with a lower back strain. He certainly didn't seem restricted at the plate or in the field. Martin tends to chase breaking pitches too often, and his batting average figures to come down in future seasons when the hits don't fall as frequently, but even as a fringe hitter with below-average power he could help a team. That's because he is a lockdown shortstop with plus range, plus speed and a plus arm. His fundamentals are strong and he converts nearly all routine plays.
  
  The Future: Martin's energetic style endears him with teammates and his work ethic should carry him to a big league role as a probable second-division shortstop or utility infielder. Given Baltimore's shallow middle infield depth, he seems like a good bet to stick with the major league club.
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  Ranked Oakland Athletics #23 prospect in 2018
  Injuries and a lack of offensive production have stunted Martin's progress in the Athletics' system since they made him the 20th overall pick in 2015. Surgery to repair a torn meniscus delayed his 2016 debut with high Class A Stockton until May 23. In 2017, he missed more than two weeks with Double-A Midland after getting hit in the face by a pitch on May 30. When healthy, Martin hasn't excelled at the plate; he owns a .235 career average in three minor league seasons. After he batted .224 in 86 games with Midland in 2017, the A's sent Martin back to Stockton. His demotion coincided with Jorge Mateo joining Midland after the A's acquired him from the Yankees. Martin remains more than capable as a defensive shortstop. He has a plus arm and plus range. The problem is few believe he hit enough to allow him to display his defensive skills at the big league level. He's considered a good enough athlete to find a way to improve his offense and is still young enough to do so. The A's think his problem is he doesn't get into a good position to hit, and that it can be rectified. Martin will try again at Double-A Midland in 2018.
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  Ranked Oakland Athletics #9 prospect in 2017
  Martin became the fourth of the record five college shortstops selected in the first round of the 2015 draft, and signed after helping Florida reach the College World Series that year. He's young for his draft class and played his first full season at age 21 in 2016, when he returned from a spring training injury that required surgery to repair a torn meniscus his left knee. Martin impressed the Athletics with his dedication and work in continuing to try and improve his all-around game. His range and quickness are quality traits, and his above-average arm is adequate for shortstop. He's athletic but not unnecessarily flashy at shortstop, with solid actions and mechanics and excellent footwork. Offensively, Martin has work to do, but the A's like his swing plane and bat speed. He has bat-to-ball skills, decent plate discipline and strength but hits for below-average power. He's an above-average runner even after the knee issue. Martin is part of a shortstop surplus for the A's, but he should be the best defender of a group that includes Franklin Barreto, Yairo Munoz and Chad Pinder. He likely will start 2017 back at Double-A Midland, and if his bat develops, he eventually could push Marcus Semien down the defensive spectrum.
• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #5 prospect in 2016
  Martin played somewhat in the shadows of fellow Southeastern Conference shortstops Alex Bregman and Dansby Swanson while he was at Florida, but he nonetheless joined them as a 2015 first-round pick, going 20th overall to the Athletics and signing for a below-slot $1.95 million. Martin's defense is his calling card right now. He's a pure athlete with tremendous range and agility at shortstop, and he plays the position with some flair as well. He can rush himself on defense at times, but scouts noted he did a better job of not forcing things in 2015. His arm is strong enough albeit not a cannon. All this isn't to say he doesn't have offensive upside as well, but his bat isn't as polished. He can be a little rigid at the plate and the A's have worked to give him more rhythm, but he has the makings of a line-drive hitting, top-of-the-order player. His game won't be predicated on home runs, but he does have enough strength to pop some balls out. The A's like his makeup and work ethic, and he's gotten better at controlling the zone and hitting balls the other way. Martin was young for his draft class, just turning 21 in December, so there's more projection involved with him than most college juniors. He'll likely ease into full-season ball at low Class A Beloit in 2016.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #31 prospect in 2015 draft
  Drafted out of high school by the Mariners in the 38th round, Martin is now part of an unusually large crop of college shortstops with a chance to stay at the position as professionals. In the past, Martin has sometimes gotten himself into trouble by trying to do too much in the field. But this year he has done a better job of letting his athleticism take over and is playing the position with ease. He has plenty of range, soft hands and enough arm strength, though it doesn't always earn true plus grades. Martin impressed scouts offensively last summer in the Cape Cod League. He set the Bourne record with a .364 batting average, which ranked second only to Kevin Newman (another well-regarded college shortstop). He has shown more power this year and there's probably even more waiting to be unlocked in his lithe 6-foot, 185-pound frame, but his game remains based on getting on base. He sprays line drives to all fields, controls the strike zone and has above-average speed, giving him the profile of a top-of-the-order hitter. Martin is very young for his class and won't turn 21 until December, giving him more projection than most college position players.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Texas League #18 prospect in 2018
  A first-round pick out of Florida in 2015, Martin experienced a career-revitalizing season in 2018. After never hitting better than .237 with a .695 OPS in his first three pro seasons, Martin hit .300 with an .807 OPS in 118 TL games. Among qualified league hitters, Martin, who also stole a career-high 25 bases, was one of only three to hit at or above .300, and his .807 OPS ranked in the top 10. Martin missed the first few weeks of the season with a back injury, but he played above-average defense at shortstop once he returned, consistently showing off a plus arm. Full health and maintaining his improvements at the plate would go a long way in Martin recapturing some of the prospect reputation he had coming out of college.
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  Ranked New York-Penn League #8 prospect in 2015
  Martin was one of three Southeastern Conference shortstops drafted in the first round. Though he's not as potent offensively as Dansby Swanson or Alex Bregman--the top two overall picks--he boasts more natural athleticism in the field. Martin has the range and arm strength to stick at shortstop. Young for the draft class, he should only gain more defensive polish with time. Martin's batting potential is a little more up in the air. He has shown flashes of offensive potential as an amateur, but he didn't stand out at the plate this summer. "Defensively, he's made some good plays," said one NYP manager. "He has range and athletic ability, but he hasn't done a whole lot against us. This league, if you have a weakness in your swing, it will be exposed." Martin started off hot--10 hits in his first 19 at-bats--but had little consistency from week to week and struck out nearly twice as many times as he walked. Still, he has a top-of-the-order ceiling with his above-average speed and discerning batting eye.

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Martin became the fourth of the record five college shortstops selected in the first round of the 2015 draft, doing so after helping Florida reach the  College World Series that year. He's young for his draft class and played his first full season at age 21 in 2016, when he returned from a spring training injury that required surgery to repair a torn meniscus his left knee. Scouting Report: Martin impressed the Athletics with his dedication and work in continuing to try and improve his all-around game. His range and quickness are quality traits, and his above-average arm is adequate for shortstop. He's athletic but not unnecessarily flashy at shortstop, with solid actions and mechanics and excellent footwork. Offensively, Martin has work to do, but the A's like his swing plane and bat speed. He has bat-to-ball skills, decent plate discipline and strength but hits for below-average power. He's an above-average runner even after the knee issue.
  
  The Future: Martin is part of a shortstop surplus for the A's, but he should be the best defender of a group that includes Franklin Barreto, Yairo Munoz and Chad Pinder. He likely will start 2017 back at Double-A Midland, and if his bat develops, he eventually could push Marcus Semien down the defensive spectrum.