OF prospect Jason Martin excited to get another chance with Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — It was a small sample size, to be sure.
Outfielder Jason Martin made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. He logged 40 plate appearances over 20 games, but it was enough for Martin to learn life in the major leagues isn’t as overwhelming as he thought it might be.
“The biggest thing I took away from being up there is that it’s just the same game minus all the glitz and glamour,” Martin said at the Pirates’ spring training camp. “Day-in and day-out, you still have to take care of the same things you need to take care of on any baseball field.”
Martin held his own, hitting .250 with two stolen bases in his limited action. He made seven starts in left field and two in center field.
“The fact that I got up there and showed that I was able to play felt good,” Martin said. “I got a sense that I belonged. There’s kind of that unknown of how the big leagues is going to be like when you’re in the minor leagues. I got a chance to put myself in position to show I can play at that level moving forward.”
Martin likely won’t get the chance to play in the major leagues right away this season. He is a bit of a longshot to make the Opening Day roster and seems ticketed for Triple-A Indianapolis.
The Pirates signed veteran Jarrod Dyson to a one-year, $2 million contract as a free agent to play center field last month. Martin also needs to prove he can thrive at the Triple-A level after hitting a lackluster .259 with eight home runs in 101 games last season.
However, Martin seems to be the logical player in line to succeed Dyson. It also helps that Martin is back to complete health after separating his left (nonthrowing) shoulder Sept. 3, an injury that required surgery.
Martin’s opportunity could come as early as this season if the Pirates deal Dyson by the July 31 trading deadline. It could come next season with Travis Swaggerty, the presumptive center fielder of the future, on a trajectory to spend most of 2021 at Indianapolis.
Yet, nothing is assured for Martin, who was part of the four-player package the Houston Astros traded to the Pirates for Gerrit Cole in 2018.
Martin was a favorite of former general manager Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle. But after both were fired at the end of last season, Martin knows he must prove himself to his new bosses, GM Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton.
It is an opportunity that excites him.
“I feel like, in this camp, (Shelton) is letting us do our thing and compete for a roster spot,” Martin said. “Having a good spring training puts you in a real good spot, not only for camp but early in the season. It’s a chance to make a good first impression.
“Spring training is important to a guy in my situation. I don’t think I would have got called up so early in the season last year if I didn’t have a good spring.”
Martin, indeed, provided some of the Pirates’ biggest highlights of the Grapefruit League last year when he made some outstanding catches and showed he can generate power from his 5-foot-9 frame.
This spring, Martin is 3 for 13 (.231) with two stolen bases.
“I feel great,” Martin said. “The rehab on my shoulder went really well. I’m excited for another season.”
John Perrotto is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.