When the Minnesota Twins traded Austin Martin a few years ago, they believed he would be a star. The fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft, Martin was the centerpiece of the deal that sent José Berríos to the Toronto Blue Jays, but his career hasn’t gone as expected.
Martin has cracked the big leagues just over two years since the trade. His versatility has been a major benefit, and his bat has been adequate enough to warrant playing time. It’s not the future All-Star that Martin was projected to be coming out of Vanderbilt, but it still has value as the Twins look for their new Nick Gordon.
The Martin-Gordon comparison is uncanny. Minnesota took Gordon fifth overall in 2014. While Martin was a superstar in college, Gordon was a high school phenom and looked to rocket through an organization that lacked star power outside of Byron Buxton and Miguel Sanó.
Minnesota pushed Gordon through its system. He hit .346/.418/.444 with seven RBI and five stolen bases in the 2016 Arizona Fall League. He appeared on track for a major league debut after hitting .270/.341/.409 with nine homers, 66 RBI, and 13 stolen bases at Double-A Chattanooga in 2017.
But things changed when the Twins promoted Gordon to Triple-A Rochester as a 22-year-old in 2018. He hit .212/.262/.283 with seven homers, 49 RBI, and 20 stolen bases and needed to make adjustments to get to the next level. Gordon put up better numbers the following season, hitting .298/.342/.459 with four homers, 40 RBI, and 14 steals. However, injuries limited him to 70 games.
The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor league season, and Gordon could not get work after testing positive for the virus at the beginning of minor league camp. A battle with chronic gastritis followed, and Gordon lost weight, leaving some to wonder if he would ever make it to the majors.
But Gordon rebounded in 2021, and the Twins called him up when injuries struck their major-league roster. At age 25, Gordon eventually became a utility player, playing outfield, second base, third base, and shortstop.
While his bat never came around, he showed the signs of a solid player in 2022, hitting .272/.316/.427 with nine homers, 50 RBI, and six steals in 136 games. Gordon’s power was encouraging in the second half of the season, leading to increased expectations last season before he suffered a fractured tibia last May.
Gordon’s tenure in Minnesota ended last winter, and the Twins have been looking for someone to fill his role. Willi Castro has received the first crack after hitting .257/.339/.411 with nine homers, 34 RBI, and 33 stolen bases last season. However, he has struggled at the start of the season, hitting .122/.234/.220 with a home run and no steals in 14 games.
Jose Miranda and Kyle Farmer are more corner infield options than utilitymen, and Manuel Margot is strictly an outfielder. With Max Kepler on the injured list, the Twins need a formidable option in center field if Byron Buxton gets injured, and Martin is capable in center.
Martin’s bat was more of a strength than Gordon’s was during his pre-draft process after hitting .368/.474/.532 with 14 homers, 76 RBI, and 43 stolen bases in three seasons (140 games) at Vanderbilt. The Blue Jays selected him in the first round of the 2020 draft. Although he had questions in the field, his bat was good enough to project a quick ascension to the majors.
But like Gordon, adversity struck in the minor leagues. Martin hit .281/.424/.383 at Double-A New Hampshire before the Berríos trade and .254/.399/.381 with three homers and 19 RBI in 37 games at Double-A Wichita after it. The Twins tried to generate more power in Martin’s swing, but it didn’t work out. He hit .241/.367/.316 with two homers, 32 RBI, and 34 stolen bases for Wichita last season.
Martin’s performance in the 2022 Arizona Fall League (.374/.454/.482 with a home run, 11 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in 21 games) created more optimism. After that, Martin started to come around, hitting .263/.387/.405 with six homers, 28 RBI, and 16 steals with the St. Paul Saints last summer.
The Twins called Martin up to replace Royce Lewis after his opening-day injury. Since then, Martin has given Minnesota many things that Gordon could provide, including some upgrades. Martin has a 12.5 percent walk rate and a much lower 12.5 percent strikeout rate.
Martin could work on some things, including his 85.6 mph average exit velocity, but he’s getting an opportunity at the major league level. If Martin could have a slight uptick in his power like Gordon did in 2022, he has the track record of being a better hitter and a solid utility man.
It probably doesn’t mean Martin will be around the entire summer, especially if Castro snaps out of his funk. But if he can figure it out, the Twins will have their Gordon replacement.
