Mason Martin Must Mix an Occasional Single In With His Homeruns
By Rodger M. Wood
Pittsburgh Pirates' twenty - two year old prospect Mason Martin hit a homer in each of the five games I have seen him play at Greensboro in 2019 and at Altoona Curve in 2021, and to make matters even more unbelievable, he went onto hit 7 HR in the 9 games before and after the four games I saw him play this season.
In his first taste of facing the older, more challenging AA -pitchers, he has hit 18 HR and driven in 54 RBI in 235 AB. He started the season off slow, hitting only 4 HR in May and 5 in June but then his bat exploded with a mighty 9 HRs in July with a week to go in the month.
Mason Martin Hit 7 HR in 7 Games in July
Hitting HR is not a new experience for the youngster. In 131 games at Low A - Greensboro Grasshoppers and High A - Bradenton Marauders in 2019, he hit 35 HR and knocked in 129 RBI. In 2017 the unheralded 17th round pick out of Kennewick, WA Southridge HS set a GCL Pirates HR record hitting 11 HR in 127 AB.
Mason Hit 35 HR in A - Ball in 2019
Signing with the Pirates right out of high school after the 2017 draft, he missed out on learning some of the hitting rudiments he would have picked up in junior college or college baseball competition. Although improving each professional season, he is still striking out too much - 88 Ks in 235 AB compared to the 20 BB so far in 2021 season or almost a K / 3 ABs. The ratio of walks and Ks should be closer to a 1:1.
Mason Martin Has a Compact Powerful Swing
In their "2020 Prospect Handbook," Baseball America recommended that Mason work at the plate being more aggressive earlier in the count - he is waiting for a pitch he can crush. He has raw power but his extremely patient approach works to the pitcher's advantage and causes him to strike out frequently.
Mason Martin Has All of the Tools for a Major League 1B
He is working on his weakness of waiting out too many hittable pitches until later in the count. giving the opposing pitcher a count advantage, and then striking out. I know this because I missed taking a HR photo when I thought he would not swing at an Akron pitcher's first pitch offering, and focused on the runner at first base expecting a double play shot and then what does he do but smash a HR with a perfect left handed batter's swing on the first pitch.
Mason Martin's Plate Approach Will Determine His Major League Fate
Mason meets the criteria for a major league first baseman - he can hit the ball with power and drive in runs. As he matures, he will improve his defense. His compact power swing and power stats will get him the Pirates' front office attention, but occasionally, as he did to ruin my HR photo, he must swing at an occasional first pitch. His ability to mix in an occasional single and double with a HR will determine his major league baseball fate.