BREAKING NEWS: The Twins Should Focus On What Austin Martin Is, Not On What He Isn’t twins GM lamented

Since joining the Minnesota Twins as part of the José Berríos trade in 2021, fans have been closely monitoring Austin Martin’s development. Martin was a consensus top-25 baseball talent at the moment, coming off a great collegiate career that saw him lead Vanderbilt to win the 2019 collegiate World Series. His stock has risen and dropped during his professional career, but the Twins appear optimistic about what he might potentially contribute to the club in 2024. His presence could be one of the reasons the organization hasn’t felt compelled to sign another backup centre fielder.

Last season, Martin was suffering from an elbow issue that could have required Tommy John surgery. Fortunately, he was able to recover from his injuries and return to the field for the second half of the season. Martin hit.263/.387/.405 in 59 games with St. Paul, including 11 doubles and six home runs. It was also the first season in which he did not play an inning at shortstop. Instead, the Twins rotated him between second base, centre field, and left field. Martin’s approach also changed as he grew and understood he needed to focus on his strengths that had made him successful as an amateur.

He isn’t a home-run hitter.
Martin was considered the best collegiate hitter in his draft class, but he has failed to maintain consistency since signing. Within months of dealing for Martin, the Twins were already working on improving his swing and approach. Minnesota approached him with the idea of making a minor mechanical tweak that would allow him to pull the ball more frequently. He’s known for his keen eye at the plate, so the team believed he’d be able to focus on certain pitches in the zone while also using his athleticism to grab the ball up front and power it down the line. That method failed in 2022, as his OPS declined by more than 110 points from his professional start. Martin has never hit double-digit home runs in a season, and his OPS has never topped.796. Evaluators expected him to gain more power after turning pro, but that is not part of his skill set.