Atlanta Braves’ prospect, Cody Martin is one step closer towards etching his name in stone in the Braves’ Opening Day rotation after hurling three scoreless innings with three strikeouts on Friday versus the Detroit Tigers. Coming out of the bullpen, Martin was dialed in, mixing in all four of his pitches and keeping Tigers’ hitters off balance.
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This opportunity is somewhat unexpected for Martin after the Braves left him unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft in December making him available for any team to be selected. Luckily, for Atlanta, none did as he’s now in the mix to secure a rotation spot. With Mike Minor potentially missing part of or the entire season due to a shoulder injury and the Braves already attempting to fill their fifth rotation spot, they’ll need two pitchers to step up in Spring Training in order for them to be confident with their roster going into Opening Day.
Martin has been a steady force on the mound since being a seventh round pick in the 2011 Draft. He has yet to post an ERA above 3.52 in any minor league stint pitching the majority of 433 and 1/3 innings as a starter. With the ability to go deep into games and a reputation for getting important outs with runners on base, Martin may be exactly what Atlanta needs in the back half of their rotation.
In 27 appearances (26 starts) for Triple-A Gwinnett in 2014, Martin pitched 156 innings, striking out 21.3% of batters he faced with opponents batting .250 against him. He did have some trouble with walks, allowing 3.2 walks per nine innings while ending the season with a 1.33 WHIP. Yet despite those less than stellar numbers, his ERA was above average, largely due to the fact that 77.8% of base-runners were left on base.
Martin’s start against the Tigers is coming off a solid showing against the Astros where he struck out three in two innings as part of a no-hitter last Sunday. After that game, Martin received some praise from Braves Manager Fredi Gonzalez. “Why not? He’s deserving. He’s earned that opportunity,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said, according to AJC.com. “It’s wide open. We went from having a fifth spot open to having two spots open. Why not put him in the mix there?”
Martin’s arsenal is typical of a fourth starter, with four pitches all capable of at least being average. With a fastball in the low 90s, a plus slider, and a passable curve and change-up, he should have prolonged success on the mound if he can keep his command under control.
His command will likely make or break the Braves’ decision to keep him in the Majors. If he’s consistent and throws strikes, he’s a long-term back-end of the rotation starter. If he overthrows, and doesn’t hit his spots, he could find himself in trouble with runners on base.
Now possessing the opportunity to show some consistency, Martin could soon have a strong hold on a rotation spot. With Minor likely beginning the season on the disabled list and youngsters Manny Banuelos and Mike Foltynewicz struggling early on in Spring Training, Martin has the opening he needs. Now he just needs to capitalize on it.
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