Pittsburgh Pirates: Three Prospects Who Could Be Home Run Derby Bound

Mason Martin, First Baseman

Maybe the biggest breakout prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates system this year, Mason Martin has quickly become one of the top power prospects in the system.  Martin has absolutely crushed baseballs this season and leads the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league’s in home runs.

Martin started the year, and played most of the season, at Low-A Greensboro.  He appeared in 82 total games for the Grasshoppers, and the 20-year-old belted an outstanding 23 home runs, along with 19 doubles, and three triples.  Furthermore, he posted a solid slashline of .262/.361/.575.  The most impressive stat however was his ISO.  Martin’s ISO was at an incredible .312, which is well above anyone else in the Pittsburgh Pirates system.

Martin has always shown power potential since joining the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 2017.  The Bucs drafted him in the 17th round of the 2017 Draft.  He is a left-handed hitter who primarily plays first base.  In his début season, Martin blasted 11 home runs in 39 games, and followed it up with another 14 home runs in 2018.

In terms of projection, Martin does not have as much as Craig and Cruz.  He stands at a relatively average 6’0” and weighs around 215 pounds.  Still, with bat speed and strength, Martin has shown that he can put plenty of charges into baseballs.

Martin has been promoted to High-A Bradenton for the second half of the 2019 season.  As he gets in the upper minors it will be important to see if he can continue to get on-base at a good clip like he has this year.  The one big concern for the first baseman is that fact that he has struck out 29 percent of the time.  If he can get that down a little lower and continue to hit for power, he should have a chance to make the team in a few years and show off that power.