Twins Prospect Austin Martin Still Has Plenty to Offer

[Hunter McCall]

Austin Martin still has a chance to cement himself as a top prospect alongside Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee. Don't give up on him just yet.

Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

 

When Austin Martin was drafted fifth overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2020 MLB First-Year Player Draft, it was considered one of the steals of the draft. Martin was viewed as  the best pure hitter in the draft, and most people thought he would go number two overall behind Spencer Torkelson.

Fast forward to July 2021. The Twins were having a disappointing season at 43-61 and decided to sell off some talent at the deadline. They accomplished this task by trading starting pitcher Jose Berrios to the Blue Jays in exchange for Simeon Woods Richardson and Martin, the number 16 overall prospect then, according to MLB.com. When Martin entered the organization following the trade, he immediately became the Twins top prospect, jumping everyone in the farm system including Royce Lewis. Martin was considered by all an elite prospect as recently as last spring, so it’s difficult to give up on him following just one down year.

Martin's ups and downs are well documented, and he has tumbled off most top prospect boards, but does he have the ability to re-enter the conversation of future Twins infield studs with Lewis and Brooks Lee? Can he use spring training to prove that he belongs?

For the most part, we won't talk much about the past, but Martin did finish 2022 on a high note, attributing an .827 OPS in September. Another encouraging area for Martin happens to be an eerily similar high note experienced by Lewis in 2019 when he was seen as a failing prospect, which was his performance in the Arizona Fall League.

 

 

The Arizona Fall League takes place after the standards season in the minors wraps up and  allows prospects to get extra games before the winter. In 2019, Lewis participated in the AFL and won the league MVP award with a slash line of .353/.411/.565 (.975). His performance was exciting for Twins fans because he struggled at the plate in the minors that season. As he started to slide down top prospect boards, there was worry that the once number-one overall pick might be a bust. In the AFL, Lewis experimented with eliminating his high leg kick, and the results were promising.

With the 2020 minor league season canceled and Lewis tearing his ACL in 2021, the AFL was the last action we saw from him leading into the 2022 season. 

Although Lewis was limited to 46 games due to another tear in the same ACL, he mashed in 2022. Whether in Triple-A or the MLB, Lewis was explosive at the plate, putting to rest the doubt that he could live up to the lofty expectations that come with being drafted number one overall.

In 2021, Martin experienced similar success as Lewis once had in the AFL. In 21 games, Martin put together a .374/.454/.482 (.936) slash line and added 10 stolen bases. He adjusted his approach at the plate and hitting mechanics, and although the sample size was small, the results showed immediately.

 

 

Martin is undoubtedly riding some positive momentum heading into spring training. Still, a quick look at the future outlook of the Twins' defense shows a rather crowded group that may make it difficult for Martin to find a permanent spot. His top two positions are shortstop and center field, but those two spots are held down at the major league level by Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton for the next six years.

Lewis, Lee, Jose Miranda, Trevor Larnach, and Alex Kirilloff also have to have assumed roles in the Twins' plans, but there is something that Martin possesses that could make him more valuable to the team and give him a place should he prove he belongs.

Martin is a phenomenal athlete with enough versatility to play anywhere on the field. If he can get himself back on track and force the Twins to find a role for him, he would excellently fit the mold of a super-utility man, just as Marwin Gonzalez did for the Twins in 2019 and 2020. Finding a defensive home for Martin may be easy, as he possesses the athleticism and versatility to play almost anywhere on the field.

Spring Training 2023 will be a very interesting and important one for Austin Martin. He is a supremely talented baseball player with plenty of tools that could make him an above-average everyday player at the MLB level. Martin has the opportunity over the next two months to prove that his adjustments in the AFL were legitimate and that he possesses defensive versatility. If he can do so, he could force himself back into the Twins' plans and re-enter the conversation of top prospect with Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee.

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[farmerguychris]

Excited to see what Martin can do this spring.  Reminds me of what happened with Buxton early in his career when they kept tinkering with his swing - last year it was all about getting more power out of Martin, which didn't happen.  In that process however, I'm sure they were messing (and experimenting) with a variety of subtle changes to how he hit all trying to get more power.  Hopefully this year - less tinkering, and maybe we'll get more consistent results that lead him to be a top prospect in the first place.  Hard to judge someone while they are trying to learn something new.

[jmlease1]

Twins already know Martin is good enough to slot into the OF if needed; the question is whether or not he can be a quality defender on the dirt too. Seems a little unlikely at SS, but there's indicators that he could do quite well at 2B. He's an on-base machine with good speed and superior baserunning ability, so he doesn't need a lot of power to be a very good offensive player in MLB. But we'd sure like to see some. He's had trouble showing it at AA, but showed good flashes in the AFL and certainly did fine in his last two years of college. Martin's only had 2 years in the minors, was probably rushed to AA and had his development disrupted by a trade...so who is the real Martin?

I'm still a fan. He could be a great 4th OF for this team as early as next season; he could backup Buxton well, and as a righty bat be a nice fit amongst the LH corner OFs we have. I like his speed and baserunning, which would add a different dimension to the Twins offense.

[gman]

I would like to see them work Martin into second base and right field, along with center field at times. I don't think he will find time at shortstop, but by the end of this season he could fill the the job at leadoff and right field quite well. With Polanco maybe not ready to start spring training at second base, that leaves an opening at second also.

[Hunter McCall]

47 minutes ago, farmerguychris said:

Excited to see what Martin can do this spring.  Reminds me of what happened with Buxton early in his career when they kept tinkering with his swing - last year it was all about getting more power out of Martin, which didn't happen.  In that process however, I'm sure they were messing (and experimenting) with a variety of subtle changes to how he hit all trying to get more power.  Hopefully this year - less tinkering, and maybe we'll get more consistent results that lead him to be a top prospect in the first place.  Hard to judge someone while they are trying to learn something new.

Exactly right! I still think very highly of Austin Martin and think the Twins will find a way to carve out a role for him in the future!

[Hunter McCall]

33 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

Twins already know Martin is good enough to slot into the OF if needed; the question is whether or not he can be a quality defender on the dirt too. Seems a little unlikely at SS, but there's indicators that he could do quite well at 2B. He's an on-base machine with good speed and superior baserunning ability, so he doesn't need a lot of power to be a very good offensive player in MLB. But we'd sure like to see some. He's had trouble showing it at AA, but showed good flashes in the AFL and certainly did fine in his last two years of college. Martin's only had 2 years in the minors, was probably rushed to AA and had his development disrupted by a trade...so who is the real Martin?

I'm still a fan. He could be a great 4th OF for this team as early as next season; he could backup Buxton well, and as a righty bat be a nice fit amongst the LH corner OFs we have. I like his speed and baserunning, which would add a different dimension to the Twins offense.

With his versatility, there’s a lot the Twins can do with him. I think they spend the next year playing him all over the diamond and try molding him into a super-utility type player. There’s going to be a lot of mouths to feed so I think Martin claims a role as a no-true-home kind of athlete. I think he will be a very good player for the Twins in coming years!

[LA VIkes Fan]

It was very good to see Martin's uptick in September and in the AFL. Sometimes we forget that a prospect's pain is rarely linear. There will be up years and down years. Hopefully, last year was simply a down year caused by the Twins trying to change his stroke to generate more power. We may just need to live with Martin as a good on-base percentage guy with occasional power so he can use the swing he's always had and get back to his "normal" self. His normal self is still a good thing to have even if not perfect.

I think there may be an opening at 2B sooner then we hope. The little snippets I read suggest that Polanco's knee is still not completely right. Let's not forget that with the shift being outlawed there is much more emphasis on range with middle infielders. Polanco's range was always decent but never stellar anyway, so losing a step could make it hard to keep him at 2B. Still, his bat definitely plays so it may be time for him to take that next step down the defensive spectrum and become a 1B. Even if we don't have to go that far, it is beginning to look like there are going to be significant available innings at 2B. Farmer can play against LH pitching, but you don't really want him playing much against RH pitching and besides, Farmer is 32 so he is not a long-term answer at any position.

That's all a long way of saying there's going to be an opening at 2B in the next couple years or maybe even as soon as this year. Martin is a little ahead of Lee at this point, although probably behind Lewis when he returns. I really think this could be the year that one of those three takes over the 2B position and Polanco moves over to 1B with Kirilloff in a 1B/OF/DH role. Hey, if they can all hit, we will have to find them all a place to play. 

 

[Hunter McCall]

20 minutes ago, gman said:

I would like to see them work Martin into second base and right field, along with center field at times. I don't think he will find time at shortstop, but by the end of this season he could fill the the job at leadoff and right field quite well. With Polanco maybe not ready to start spring training at second base, that leaves an opening at second also.

You’re right, I think shortstop is out of the question. With Correa resigning, I think they take this opportunity to get him time just about everywhere else. He will be a valuable tool for the Twins when he arrives!

[Dave The Dastardly]

Super-utility equates to jack of all trades, master of none. Manager's job is to learn where each player plays at his best and leave him there. It's not a question of where he "can" play, but rather where he excels.

[nicksaviking]

I'll be thrilled if Martin makes it, but if he's only got single digit HR and well below avg XBH potential, he'll never be in the same class of prospect as Lewis and Lee. He can be a very good MLB player, but high OBP/low SLG players tend to be quite affordable as free agents.

[chpettit19]

I was a huge fan of Martin coming out of Vandy, and him being part of the Berrios trade made that move sting a little less. I think Keith Law was onto something when he was worried about Martin's injury with Toronto changing his approach too dramatically to the "slap it the other way" approach. The swings he was letting off in the AFL looked far better than the swings he'd been showing when he came over from Toronto, and to start last year.

There was a very clear change in his stance, and he looked to be attacking the ball with more authority in September and the AFL. I don't know if that was him finally feeling healthy again, or him being frustrated with the way his season had gone and finally starting to just let it rip. It was great to see him make some changes when he came back at the end of the season, and gives me real hope for him going into 2023. Kirilloff and Martin are the 2 guys who's swings I'll be watching the closest come this weekend when the games start.

[MGX]

It seems in todays world with the never ending amount of data we have access to people have very little patience with prospects/players in general.

In Martin's case he supposedly had one bad year - '22 in the minors & dropped in the prospect rankings. In his "disappointing" season he played the year at AA & had a .368 OBP with 35 SB's. Then he went on to play in the Arizona Fall league & hit .374 with a .936 OPS in 97 PA's, he also added 10 more SB's. In AA his BA was only .241 & his OPS only .683 so I guess that is what is being called disappointing. For a guy who is known for getting on base & being a very good base runner I'm not sure I see it as a disappointing season. IMO seems he's on track to be a good ballplayer.

[chpettit19]

13 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I'll be thrilled if Martin makes it, but if he's only got single digit HR and well below avg XBH potential, he'll never be in the same class of prospect as Lewis and Lee. He can be a very good MLB player, but high OBP/low SLG players tend to be quite affordable as free agents.

I think Andrew Benintendi is a really good comp for Martin. I think 2022 Andrew Benintendi (with more steals) is his best case scenario if he doesn't develop more power. Most definitely a useful player, but not the sort of star you're hoping for out of the #5 pick. But Benintendi was the 7th pick in his draft, and an even higher ranked global prospect than Martin. 2018 Benintendi, and the trajectory people thought he was on, is closer to the top end of where Martin could be. But if he ends up being a slightly faster Benintendi I think we should, and would, be very happy. 

2018 Benintendi (23 years old): 148 games played, 16 HRS, .290/.366/.465/.830, 123 OPS+ and 4.8 bWAR, 123 wRC+ and 4.9 fWAR
2022 Benintendi (27 years old): 126 games played, 5 HRS, .304/.373/.399/.772, 120 OPS+ and 3.2 bWAR, 122 wRC+ and 2.8 fWAR

If Martin turns into a 3-5 WAR/year player I'll be very happy to have him on the squad.

[Nashvilletwin]

Other than his supposedly lack of power - which can be overcome at the plate with BA, OBP, BARISP and SBs - there is no reason that Martin is not in the mix for a starting corner OF job next season along with Gordon, Larnach, and Wallner. 2B is more of a long shot if Lee/Lewis and Julien are ahead of him in the queue.

Martin has top of the order plate and running skills. Also, I agree with Dave the Dastardly - get him a position and let him run with it.

Martin, in my book, remains, at this moment, a better overall prospect than Salas.

[chpettit19]

33 minutes ago, MGX said:

It seems in todays world with the never ending amount of data we have access to people have very little patience with prospects/players in general.

In Martin's case he supposedly had one bad year - '22 in the minors & dropped in the prospect rankings. In his "disappointing" season he played the year at AA & had a .368 OBP with 35 SB's. Then he went on to play in the Arizona Fall league & hit .374 with a .936 OPS in 97 PA's, he also added 10 more SB's. In AA his BA was only .241 & his OPS only .683 so I guess that is what is being called disappointing. For a guy who is known for getting on base & being a very good base runner I'm not sure I see it as a disappointing season. IMO seems he's on track to be a good ballplayer.

I think it's disappointing because those OBP numbers are likely impossible to maintain as he moves up the ladder if he can't hit higher than .241 and/or slug more than .317. Major league pitchers won't walk him at the kind of rates he'd need to be walked to be a useful player if he's only hitting .241 with no power. That's the disappointing part. What it means for his projections if he can't hit better than .241. He won't get on base at those clips against major league pitchers if he can't impact the ball significantly better than he did during most of the season. That's why the AFL stint was so encouraging.

There were 32 qualified major leaguers with an OBP of .350 or higher last year. The lowest batting average amongst them was .242 by Juan Soto. But he slugged .452, is a feared MLB star, and is known for having one of the best eyes in the history of baseball (his 20.3% walk rate last year is astronomical. For reference, Martin was at 11.8% in AA). The next lowest BA was .252 for Christian Yelich. The average OPS for that group was .846. Average BA for that group was .289. So I think it's pretty reasonable to call him hitting .241 and OPSing .683 in AA disappointing.

Edited to add: None of that means he's doomed or we should give up on him. Simply that he did have a disappointing season.

[nicksaviking]

14 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

I think Andrew Benintendi is a really good comp for Martin. I think 2022 Andrew Benintendi (with more steals) is his best case scenario if he doesn't develop more power. Most definitely a useful player, but not the sort of star you're hoping for out of the #5 pick. But Benintendi was the 7th pick in his draft, and an even higher ranked global prospect than Martin. 2018 Benintendi, and the trajectory people thought he was on, is closer to the top end of where Martin could be. But if he ends up being a slightly faster Benintendi I think we should, and would, be very happy. 

2018 Benintendi (23 years old): 148 games played, 16 HRS, .290/.366/.465/.830, 123 OPS+ and 4.8 bWAR, 123 wRC+ and 4.9 fWAR
2022 Benintendi (27 years old): 126 games played, 5 HRS, .304/.373/.399/.772, 120 OPS+ and 3.2 bWAR, 122 wRC+ and 2.8 fWAR

If Martin turns into a 3-5 WAR/year player I'll be very happy to have him on the squad.

I don't care about Martin's WAR as that will all be based off of whatever position they stick him at. In either case, Benintendi's single season with an OPS over .800 doesn't inspire much excitement as a comp. I have never wanted anything to do with him and that's even with significantly more XB power than Martin has displayed at this point.

Whether Martin plays corner OF, 2B or 3B, Benintendi should be the absolute floor if he's going to be a long-term lock for the lineup. If I have a corner OF that can't regularly produce with the bat, I'm always looking for upgrades.

[TwinsDr2021]

Martin turns 24 on March 23, which is already getting old for a prospects. IMO if he isn't amazing this year and force his way to the big leagues, he probably will just be another prospect that failed to live up to expectations. (Because he probably be passed by other prospects)

I believe he can and will become a good major league player for years, but I don't see him becoming an everyday starting player because I belief the next prospects with more upside will slide him out. See Nick Gordon.

[chpettit19]

29 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I don't care about Martin's WAR as that will all be based off of whatever position they stick him at. In either case, Benintendi's single season with an OPS over .800 doesn't inspire much excitement as a comp. I have never wanted anything to do with him and that's even with significantly more XB power than Martin has displayed at this point.

Whether Martin plays corner OF, 2B or 3B, Benintendi should be the absolute floor if he's going to be a long-term lock for the lineup. If I have a corner OF that can't regularly produce with the bat, I'm always looking for upgrades.

I think you're underselling Benintendi by quite a bit. He was 6th amongst LFers in wRC+ last year. 19th amongst qualified OFers. He was 27th in wRC+ amongst all outfielders with at least 300 PAs last year. 21st amongst that group in fWAR. He was an all star last year, and has won a gold glove. 2018 Benintendi was 7th in fWAR, and 23rd in wRC+ amongst OFers with at least 300 PAs. If you're thinking that's Martin's floor you're expecting Martin to be an MVP candidate.

[sweetmusicviola16]

So fixated on power in today's game. HR's. I'm sure I'm being way overly optimistic. But with Austin Martin I envision a RH hitting Joe Mauer potential. With better speed. I don't believe what he did at Vandy was pretend and his AZFL brought it back to life.

[KirbyHawk75]

Good article.  We have a lot of exciting young players.  And let's face it, these are the Twins and nobody can stay healthy so you can never have too much depth.  

[nicksaviking]

28 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

I think you're underselling Benintendi by quite a bit. He was 6th amongst LFers in wRC+ last year. 19th amongst qualified OFers. He was 27th in wRC+ amongst all outfielders with at least 300 PAs last year. 21st amongst that group in fWAR. He was an all star last year, and has won a gold glove. 2018 Benintendi was 7th in fWAR, and 23rd in wRC+ amongst OFers with at least 300 PAs. If you're thinking that's Martin's floor you're expecting Martin to be an MVP candidate.

Benintendi has never been an MVP candidate. Not a single vote, even in his one good year. 

 I don't care what a guy does on offense AND defense. Tell me what the guy does on offense, THEN tell me what he does on defense. Offense is >>>>>>> important than defense, so get me a good bat, then we find out if his glove plays in the field. If it doesn't, get me another good bat and we'll see if his glove plays in the field. Good defense does not make up for being an offensive liability. Offense and defense shouldn't be one combined metric using a sliding scale based on an arbitrary percentage of the weight being given to defense.

I'm all for analytics, but the modern era has this part all wrong. Offensive statistics are concrete and calculable. Defensive statistics are arbitrary, largely based on estimates and often proven fallible. We know the guy will have a chance to show his worth on offense every ninth at bat, but he may not have the ball hit to him all game long. Two separate and very different evaluations, not one. Offense first, defense second.

[chpettit19]

8 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Benintendi has never been an MVP candidate. Not a single vote, even in his one good year. 

 I don't care what a guy does on offense AND defense. Tell me what the guy does on offense, THEN tell me what he does on defense. Offense is >>>>>>> important than defense, so get me a good bat, then we find out if his glove plays in the field. If it doesn't, get me another good bat and we'll see if his glove plays in the field. Good defense does not make up for being an offensive liability. Offense and defense shouldn't be one combined metric using a sliding scale based on an arbitrary percentage of the weight being given to defense.

I'm all for analytics, but the modern era has this part all wrong. Offensive statistics are concrete and calculable. Defensive statistics are arbitrary, largely based on estimates and often proven fallible. We know the guy will have a chance to show his worth on offense every ninth at bat, but he may not have the ball hit to him all game long. Two separate and very different evaluations, not one. Offense first, defense second.

I'm aware of that. But you said "Benintendi should be the absolute floor." If you think Benintendi is the "absolute floor" then you're talking about Martin getting MVP votes since you're expecting/hoping/whatever him to be much better than Benintendi.

I told you what Benintendi did on offense. He was 6th amongst qualified LFers, and 19th amongst qualified OFers WITH THE BAT in 2022. He was 23rd amongst all major league outfielders with at least 300 PAs (not even close to qualifying for the batting title) WITH THE BAT in 2022. If you don't think being one of the 25 best outfield bats in baseball is good I don't know what to tell you.

[MGX]

1 hour ago, chpettit19 said:

I think it's disappointing because those OBP numbers are likely impossible to maintain as he moves up the ladder if he can't hit higher than .241 and/or slug more than .317. Major league pitchers won't walk him at the kind of rates he'd need to be walked to be a useful player if he's only hitting .241 with no power. That's the disappointing part. What it means for his projections if he can't hit better than .241. He won't get on base at those clips against major league pitchers if he can't impact the ball significantly better than he did during most of the season. That's why the AFL stint was so encouraging.

There were 32 qualified major leaguers with an OBP of .350 or higher last year. The lowest batting average amongst them was .242 by Juan Soto. But he slugged .452, is a feared MLB star, and is known for having one of the best eyes in the history of baseball (his 20.3% walk rate last year is astronomical. For reference, Martin was at 11.8% in AA). The next lowest BA was .252 for Christian Yelich. The average OPS for that group was .846. Average BA for that group was .289. So I think it's pretty reasonable to call him hitting .241 and OPSing .683 in AA disappointing.

Edited to add: None of that means he's doomed or we should give up on him. Simply that he did have a disappointing season.

If we're already saying what he does now is likely impossible then who cares what his stats are in the Minors. You're post is exactly what I was referring to. Getting lost in the numbers when we're talking about a prospect developing while playing in the minors.

OPS is slanted towards power, it's doubtful Martin will ever be much of a power hitter so his OPS numbers won't be that great. His value lies in his ability to get on base & being a good base runner. In todays game that doesn't make you an MVP candidate, but you can be an effective offensive player.

[chpettit19]

2 minutes ago, MGX said:

If we're already saying what he does now is likely impossible then who cares what his stats are in the Minors. You're post is exactly what I was referring to. Getting lost in the numbers when we're talking about a prospect developing while playing in the minors.

OPS is slanted towards power, it's doubtful Martin will ever be much of a power hitter so his OPS numbers won't be that great. His value lies in his ability to get on base & being a good base runner. In todays game that doesn't make you an MVP candidate, but you can be an effective offensive player.

And that's why I said it wasn't a reason to give up on him or that he's doomed. But ignoring the numbers doesn't make any sense. My point was that if he can't maintain a solid batting average he will have no ability to get on base, and then his base running doesn't matter. You listed his .241 BA like it doesn't matter because he got on base so much. Which is totally fine. But when you're talking about him progressing it does matter. Because he won't be able to walk so much as he moves up and faces better pitching. Not sure what "getting lost in the numbers" means, but I hope you're not suggesting that a lot of guys who hit poorly (BA, slugging, whatever you want) get to the majors and are suddenly completely different guys. Guys don't hit .241 consistently in the minors and then get to the majors and hit .300.

Ignore all the OPS numbers if you want. Take slugging out of it completely. I'm not saying he needs to be a slugger of any sort. But there were only 42 hitters in all of major league baseball that had 300 PAs and an OBP of .350 or better last year. If Martin's offensive skills are getting on base and being a good base runner he's going to need to get on base at a .350 clip. That is insanely hard to do if you're not hitting for a pretty solid average. Because you simply won't get walked by major league pitchers. I don't know why that's a crazy suggestion. Major league pitchers walk fewer guys than AA pitchers. So he can't simply build a career by hoping major league guys walk him that much.

It's entirely fine if Martin is an OBP and base running guy. But in order for him to become that guy he's going to have to hit the ball better than he did last year. He absolutely could do that. I'd actually bet that he does do that. But suggesting minor league numbers don't mean anything is pretty aggressive. Last year was incredibly disappointing for him. I think he'd tell you that. I don't know why it's bad to point out that he had a disappointing season.

[sweetmusicviola16]

I fully agree with chepettit, Martin is going to have to be an OBP machine and be able to leg out some doubles at a fair clip. I absolutely believe he can do it. We could really use this kind of player as a future CF. Best wishes this season Austin.

[Doctor Gast]

Many pundits believed Martin would never stick at SS, so why did the Twins make Martin suffer there & waste his time. They should have stuck him in CF to begin with, where he could have excelled & improved his value. Also last season he tinkered  too much with his swing, towards the end of the season into AFL he found his groove & shown surprising pop.

His RH bat is much welcomed in the OF. Even though it's crowded with his tool box full, he'll be a valuable asset. Which cannot be denied especially with his flexibility to be able to admirably fill in at 2B. His RH bat will also prevent someone that shouldn't be playing the OF from playing there.

There is spot for Martin in the future winning Twins roster don't sell him short.

[se7799]

3 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Benintendi has never been an MVP candidate. Not a single vote, even in his one good year. 

 I don't care what a guy does on offense AND defense. Tell me what the guy does on offense, THEN tell me what he does on defense. Offense is >>>>>>> important than defense, so get me a good bat, then we find out if his glove plays in the field. If it doesn't, get me another good bat and we'll see if his glove plays in the field. Good defense does not make up for being an offensive liability. Offense and defense shouldn't be one combined metric using a sliding scale based on an arbitrary percentage of the weight being given to defense.

I'm all for analytics, but the modern era has this part all wrong. Offensive statistics are concrete and calculable. Defensive statistics are arbitrary, largely based on estimates and often proven fallible. We know the guy will have a chance to show his worth on offense every ninth at bat, but he may not have the ball hit to him all game long. Two separate and very different evaluations, not one. Offense first, defense second.

I'm guessing you were not big on somebody like Buxton to start.  Considering he was all defense/glove and no bat first few years.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Good article. Lots of great discussion. I have to believe that out of Lee, Lewis, Miranda, Martin, Gordon, Kirilloff, Larnach, and Walner that the Twins will find a 1B, 2B, 3B, LF and RF.  Leave C4 at SS and Buck at CF and build around them. Miranda is limited to 1B or 3B  and Walner and Larnach are limited to OF. Kirilloff is limited to 1B and OF and looked extremely smooth at 1B. Lee, Lewis, Martin and Gordon were/are all SS's and can probably play anywhere. I wonder if there is a catcher in this bunch? If I were an IF prospect, other than Miller and possibly Salas, and other than those mentioned here, I'd strongly consider catching.

[stringer bell]

Don't give up on Martin having extra base power. Kirby Puckett went homerless as a rookie and only hit four until he was 26. That's a rather severe example, but power often develops later in a career.

It seems to me that Martin should have the tools to be a good defender at second, or in the outfield. It doesn't make sense to continue him at short IMHO. However, limiting him to one position just would limit his chances to break through to the majors. If he is strong enough offensively, he will find a place to play and stay there. 

I think the clearest path to the majors is in the outfield, particularly since the Twins are lacking in right handed corner outfielders at this point. Further, the club can use his on-base skills, no matter what position he plays.

[awmonahan]

There's a lot of swing and miss and plodding in this system now. If he can continue to get on base, hit, run and field adequately, there should be room for him (at 2nd, 3rd or OF corners in the coming years). I'm excited to see what he can do.