Corbin Martin

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #18 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Martin rocketed through the Astros system, reaching the majors in 2019. Shortly after, he went down with Tommy John surgery and was subsequently dealt to the D-backs in the Zack Greinke trade. The D-backs thought they were getting a surefire rotation piece, but thus far Martin has yet to deliver on expectations, struggling to stay healthy in 2020 and then pitching poorly in the major leagues in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: There weren’t many bright spots to Martin’s 2021 season, in which he allowed 19 earned runs in 16 innings in the majors, but one was the fact that his pre-surgery stuff returned mostly intact. He sat in the 94 mph range with his fastball and exhibited the same movement profiles on his secondary pitches. Nothing he had seemed to fool big league hitters, however, and opinions vary on what went wrong. His command might have backed up and his confidence took a hit. He also was shut down again with more elbow problems, though he got back on the mound and was healthy before heading home for the offseason.
  
  The Future: Rather than getting a chance to settle in after surgery, circumstances prompted the D-backs to bring Martin to the majors more quickly than they had hoped in 2021. They are hoping another year removed from the injury and a smoother path back will help him get back to being comfortable and confident on the mound.
  
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #10 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 55. Control: 55.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Martin jumped on the fast track after being drafted by the Astros in the second round in 2017 and reached the majors in 2019. That rise was interrupted by Tommy John surgery in July 2019—less than a month before the D-backs acquired him in the Zack Greinke deal. Just as Martin was approaching a return in 2020, he suffered a strained left oblique that effectively ended his season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Martin returned to the mound in the fall, appearing in intrasquad games and instructional league, and looked mostly like his normal self. His velocity was a tick down, ranging from 92-95 mph, but he also was not throwing at full intensity. Before surgery, Martin had a solid four-pitch mix, with his fastball complemented by a slider, curveball and changeup that all graded average to above. He’s since tinkered with a new grip on his curveball and received good feedback on it, helping solidify it as a potentially above-average pitch. He’s previously shown above-average control when healthy.
  
  THE FUTURE: Martin will enter spring training as one of the club’s depth starter options. He’s previously shown No. 3 or 4 starter potential but has to stay healthy and show his stuff comes all the way back.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #7 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Martin reached the majors last season and made five starts for the Astros before being sent back to Triple-A Round Rock in June. Three starts later, he went down with elbow problems that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. The injury will sideline him for most, if not all, of the 2020 season, but it didn't deter the D-backs from acquiring him as part of the four-player package for righthander Zack Greinke at the 2019 trade deadline.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: The surgery will act as a bumper on what had been a fast-track career for Martin, who reached the big leagues less than two years after being drafted. He is a good athlete with clean arm action and a simple, repeatable delivery. Assuming he can get back to what he was, Martin will give the D-backs a polished starter with a four-pitch mix. His fastball sits in the 94-95 mph range, touching 98, and he commands it well to both sides of the plate. His slider and curveball both can be above-average pitches. His slider is more consistent, but when it's on his curveball can be better. His changeup comes in firm but with good armside run.
  
  THE FUTURE: Martin's immediate future includes a lot of days rehabbing at Salt River Fields. If all goes well, he will return to game action after the all-star break.
• 
  Ranked Houston Astros #5 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: As Martin prepared for his junior season at Texas A&M, he was penciled in as the club's closer, hoping to put the wildness that had ruined his sophomore season behind him. He had worked as a reliever in two years with the Aggies and in the Cape Cod League, but A&M moved him to the rotation as a junior. He quickly became the club's ace. As a pro, he's been one of the fastest-moving pitchers from the 2017 draft, reaching Double-A by May and posting a 2.97 ERA in a league where the average ERA was 4.17.
  
  Scouting Report: It's hard to believe that Martin was ever viewed as a reliever or that he battled control issues. Now, he is a starter with excellent feel for pitching, plenty of polish and a mastery of the details like holding runners and fielding his position. Martin sits 93-95 mph and touches 97 mph. His plus fastball earns those grades for his above-average command and control as much as the pitch's velocity. He locates well to all four corners of the zone. Martin mixes in a slider and curveball. Both earn above-average grades on his best days, with his slider being a little more consistent than his curve. His changeup improved this year from being a below-average to a potentially average pitch.
  
  The Future: The Astros have pitchers with better stuff and other pitchers who are nearly as refined, but Martin is the best combination of the two. Martin combines stuff and refinement like no other Astros pitching prospect and is a future mid-rotation starter. He will start the 2019 season at Triple-A, but he could work his way into the Astros' big league plans at some point in 2019.
• 
  Ranked Houston Astros #16 prospect in 2018
  Martin was a reliever in the Texas A&M bullpen for two and a half seasons, but in his junior year he moved into the rotation. He became the team's Saturday starter and while his fastball velocity dipped a little, the command and the quality of his breaking balls improved with more work. The Astros signed Martin for $1 million as a second-round pick and used him in their tandem-starter system, something not all that unusual for Martin because of his multi-role background. Martin's 90-94 mph fastball has excellent glove-side life. He also throws an average slider that has bigger shape than most, with its break coming earlier than other sliders. His curve is a little behind the slider, and his changeup is generally below-average but it will flash above-average at times and could develop into a better weapon. Martin may end up back in the pen in the long run--he has a quick arm but his delivery has some effort and a high back elbow. But he has the makings of four pitches and potentially average control, so there's no reason to not let him try to start.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #55 prospect in 2017 draft
  When the season began, Texas A&M planned on making Martin its closer, a role he had success with in the Cape Cod League the previous summer. But Martin has long wanted to be a starter, and when he was finally given the chance, he turned into the the most reliable part of the Aggies' rotation. Martin has backed off on his velocity as a starter to command his fastball better, and it's paid off as he's able to locate better in the low-90s than he did when he was throwing in the mid-90s. His feel for his breaking pitches also improved with the lengthier outings. Martin generally has his above-average fastball and an above-average changeup which he is comfortable throwing to righties and lefties, but whether he relies on his slider or curveball depends on which one he has a feel for that night. His 83-86 mph slider is the more consistent of the two and it's sat in the high 80s when he was pitching out of the pen.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Texas League #8 prospect in 2018
  Martin rose to Double-A quickly in his first professional season and one evaluator said he could succeed in the middle of a big league rotation as soon as 2019. Martin’s main offerings are a 90-94 mph fastball and an above-average slider, but it’s his above-average command of four pitches, including a curveball and changeup, that allows Martin to get the most from his stuff. Martin does a nice job of mixing his pitches in and around the zone. He limits his walks, but also stays away from the middle of the plate to limit hard contact, as evidenced by his .221 opponent average.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #78 prospect in 2019

• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Martin rocketed through the Astros system, reaching the majors in 2019. Shortly after, he went down with Tommy John surgery and was subsequently dealt to the D-backs in the Zack Greinke trade. The D-backs thought they were getting a surefire rotation piece, but thus far Martin has yet to deliver on expectations, struggling to stay healthy in 2020 and then pitching poorly in the major leagues in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: There weren&#39t many bright spots to Martin&#39s 2021 season, in which he allowed 19 earned runs in 16 innings in the majors, but one was the fact that his pre-surgery stuff returned mostly intact. He sat in the 94 mph range with his fastball and exhibited the same movement profiles on his secondary pitches. Nothing he had seemed to fool big league hitters, however, and opinions vary on what went wrong. His command might have backed up and his confidence took a hit. He also was shut down again with more elbow problems, though he got back on the mound and was healthy before heading home for the offseason.
  
  The Future: Rather than getting a chance to settle in after surgery, circumstances prompted the D-backs to bring Martin to the majors more quickly than they had hoped in 2021. They are hoping another year removed from the injury and a smoother path back will help him get back to being comfortable and confident on the mound.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Martin rocketed through the Astros system, reaching the majors in 2019. Shortly after, he went down with Tommy John surgery and was subsequently dealt to the D-backs in the Zack Greinke trade. The D-backs thought they were getting a surefire rotation piece, but thus far Martin has yet to deliver on expectations, struggling to stay healthy in 2020 and then pitching poorly in the major leagues in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: There weren’t many bright spots to Martin’s 2021 season, in which he allowed 19 earned runs in 16 innings in the majors, but one was the fact that his pre-surgery stuff returned mostly intact. He sat in the 94 mph range with his fastball and exhibited the same movement profiles on his secondary pitches. Nothing he had seemed to fool big league hitters, however, and opinions vary on what went wrong. His command might have backed up and his confidence took a hit. He also was shut down again with more elbow problems, though he got back on the mound and was healthy before heading home for the offseason.
  
  The Future: Rather than getting a chance to settle in after surgery, circumstances prompted the D-backs to bring Martin to the majors more quickly than they had hoped in 2021. They are hoping another year removed from the injury and a smoother path back will help him get back to being comfortable and confident on the mound.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 55. Control: 55.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Martin jumped on the fast track after being drafted by the Astros in the second round in 2017 and reached the majors in 2019. That rise was interrupted by Tommy John surgery in July 2019—less than a month before the D-backs acquired him in the Zack Greinke deal. Just as Martin was approaching a return in 2020, he suffered a strained left oblique that effectively ended his season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Martin returned to the mound in the fall, appearing in intrasquad games and instructional league, and looked mostly like his normal self. His velocity was a tick down, ranging from 92-95 mph, but he also was not throwing at full intensity. Before surgery, Martin had a solid four-pitch mix, with his fastball complemented by a slider, curveball and changeup that all graded average to above. He's since tinkered with a new grip on his curveball and received good feedback on it, helping solidify it as a potentially above-average pitch. He's previously shown above-average control when healthy.
  
  THE FUTURE: Martin will enter spring training as one of the club's depth starter options. He's previously shown No. 3 or 4 starter potential but has to stay healthy and show his stuff comes all the way back.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 55. Control: 55.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Martin jumped on the fast track after being drafted by the Astros in the second round in 2017 and reached the majors in 2019. That rise was interrupted by Tommy John surgery in July 2019—less than a month before the D-backs acquired him in the Zack Greinke deal. Just as Martin was approaching a return in 2020, he suffered a strained left oblique that effectively ended his season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Martin returned to the mound in the fall, appearing in intrasquad games and instructional league, and looked mostly like his normal self. His velocity was a tick down, ranging from 92-95 mph, but he also was not throwing at full intensity. Before surgery, Martin had a solid four-pitch mix, with his fastball complemented by a slider, curveball and changeup that all graded average to above. He’s since tinkered with a new grip on his curveball and received good feedback on it, helping solidify it as a potentially above-average pitch. He’s previously shown above-average control when healthy.
  
  THE FUTURE: Martin will enter spring training as one of the club’s depth starter options. He’s previously shown No. 3 or 4 starter potential but has to stay healthy and show his stuff comes all the way back.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 55. Control: 55.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Martin jumped on the fast track after being drafted by the Astros in the second round in 2017 and reached the majors in 2019. That rise was interrupted by Tommy John surgery in July 2019—less than a month before the D-backs acquired him in the Zack Greinke deal. Just as Martin was approaching a return in 2020, he suffered a strained left oblique that effectively ended his season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Martin returned to the mound in the fall, appearing in intrasquad games and instructional league, and looked mostly like his normal self. His velocity was a tick down, ranging from 92-95 mph, but he also was not throwing at full intensity. Before surgery, Martin had a solid four-pitch mix, with his fastball complemented by a slider, curveball and changeup that all graded average to above. He’s since tinkered with a new grip on his curveball and received good feedback on it, helping solidify it as a potentially above-average pitch. He’s previously shown above-average control when healthy.
  
  THE FUTURE: Martin will enter spring training as one of the club’s depth starter options. He’s previously shown No. 3 or 4 starter potential but has to stay healthy and show his stuff comes all the way back.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Martin reached the majors last season and made five starts for the Astros before being sent back to Triple-A Round Rock in June. Three starts later, he went down with elbow problems that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. The injury will sideline him for most, if not all, of the 2020 season, but it didn’t deter the D-backs from acquiring him as part of the four-player package for righthander Zack Greinke at the 2019 trade deadline.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: The surgery will act as a bumper on what had been a fast-track career for Martin, who reached the big leagues less than two years after being drafted. He is a good athlete with clean arm action and a simple, repeatable delivery. Assuming he can get back to what he was, Martin will give the D-backs a polished starter with a four-pitch mix. His fastball sits in the 94-95 mph range, touching 98, and he commands it well to both sides of the plate. His slider and curveball both can be above-average pitches. His slider is more consistent, but when it’s on his curveball can be better. His changeup comes in firm but with good armside run.
  
  THE FUTURE: Martin’s immediate future includes a lot of days rehabbing at Salt River Fields. If all goes well, he will return to game action after the all-star break.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Martin reached the majors last season and made five starts for the Astros before being sent back to Triple-A Round Rock in June. Three starts later, he went down with elbow problems that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. The injury will sideline him for most, if not all, of the 2020 season, but it didn't deter the D-backs from acquiring him as part of the four-player package for righthander Zack Greinke at the 2019 trade deadline.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: The surgery will act as a bumper on what had been a fast-track career for Martin, who reached the big leagues less than two years after being drafted. He is a good athlete with clean arm action and a simple, repeatable delivery. Assuming he can get back to what he was, Martin will give the D-backs a polished starter with a four-pitch mix. His fastball sits in the 94-95 mph range, touching 98, and he commands it well to both sides of the plate. His slider and curveball both can be above-average pitches. His slider is more consistent, but when it's on his curveball can be better. His changeup comes in firm but with good armside run.
  
  THE FUTURE: Martin's immediate future includes a lot of days rehabbing at Salt River Fields. If all goes well, he will return to game action after the all-star break.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  After just four appearances, Martin pitched his way out of high Class A Buies Creek as his combination of solid stuff and advanced feel and control allowed the Astros to aggressively push him to Double-A Corpus Christi in his first full pro season. Martin doesn’t have any one pitch that he can simply blow away hitters with, but his fastball and secondary offerings work well enough because he commands all of them. He’s a future No. 4/5 starter who isn’t far away from being ready to help.