Pittsburgh Pirates: Goals For First Base This Season

Goal Number Three – Minor League Development

Now there is one name that I haven’t mentioned yet, and in my own fashion, I find it important to mention a prospect by the name of Mason Martin. My goal for the Pittsburgh Pirates here is to start grooming Martin to be the first baseman of the future because this kid has all the tools to be a big-time player in the future.

There’s something to say when Martin, who hasn’t even been to the A=Double-A level yet getting an invite to the big league, came and actually get playing time. To me, this an indication of his talent and what the Pirates think he can be in the near future. 2020 should have been a telling sign as well with getting the taxi squad invite.

Like every player in the league, Martin does have weaknesses, and if last year is any indication, he has improved on that one glaring weakness in his game. The weakness I’m talking about is his K% which at two levels were at 32.3% and 29.0%. After my discussions with him discussing the taxi squad, he mentioned how the main thing he was working on was “dominating his zone,” which means don’t swing at everything basically.

Never mind the negative stuff, let’s look at some eye popping numbers like his combined 35 home runs and 129 RBIs. His wOBA was .393 and .413 at two different levels, along with a 164 and 155 wRC+. To put it in the most simple terms possible, Martin can be a problem for opposing pitchers if he is groomed properly by Ben Cherington and company.