Better or Worse in 2025: Twins outfielder Austin Martin

Austin Martin was chosen fifth overall by the Toronto BlueJays in the 2020 draft out of Vanderbilt, where he had a 1.007 OPS over three seasons, mostly playing shortstop for the Commodores. Martin went straight to Double-A in 2021 and held his own in his first taste of professional ball.

Martin was a top-50 prospect in baseball prior to the 2021 and 2022 seasons and played in the Futures Game over All-Star weekend in 2021 for the American League squad. He mostly played shortstop before being included in a trade in which the Twins also received Simeon Woods Richardson in exchange for Jose Berrios.

When the Twins acquired Martin and Woods Richardson, they were prospects who were a couple of years away from contributing to the big league team. Now that it's been about three and a half years since the trade, one can see what value the former prospects provide for the Twins.

Woods Richardson held his own as a rookie in 2024 after starting the year in Triple-A. The same cannot be said for Martin, who hit .253/.318/.352, an 89 OPS+ in his first year with the Twins. Martin also struggled a bit defensively and was worth minus-1.0 bWAR in his first major league season. Martin doesn't hit for much power, so his value will be elsewhere for the Twins.

Martin does have some positional flexibility, even if he is no longer considered a viable option at shortstop. Martin has shown the ability to play second base and all three outfield positions.

While he may have looked a bit in over his head while playing outfield, that's where he is expected to play this coming year.

While Martin might not be the first option at any outfield spot, his ability to play there and also fill in at second base will likely mean he is called upon at some point this year (if not right out of the gates).

Fangraphs projects Martin to hit .240/.344/.329, which would be a slightly below-average offensive output. If Martin can improve defensively, continue to improve in other aspects, and learn after his first taste of the big leagues, he could carve out a bench role and see some playing time going forward as a utility player.

While Martin might start the year in Triple-A, it's likely you will see him at Target Field at some point this year due to his versatility defensively. If he can improve his defense, he could potentially be a late-inning pinch-running option and defensive replacement.

Overall, Martin's prospect shine may have dimmed some, but he can still carve out a role for himself and it will be interesting to see what his opportunities look like this coming year. Maybe we'll see more catches like this with Martin playing in the outfield.