Matt Wallner has had a rough season, slashing just .167/.259/.292 (58 wRC+) with a 39.3% strikeout rate and a league-worst -8 Defensive Runs Saved. The Twins reached a breaking point with Wallner, demoting the 28-year-old outfielder to Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, Austin Martin is now presumably the team's starting right fielder, a well-deserved promotion for the former Toronto Blue Jays prospect.
Martin has exceeded expectations by a large margin this season, slashing .333/.454/.429 in 130 plate appearances. He began the year in a platoon role, primarily starting vs. lefties in lieu of Trevor Larnach, who has hit .268/.398/.381 in 118 plate appearances this season. However, Martin has proved he belongs in the lineup against righties regularly as well. While Martin has absolutely mashed against southpaws this year, slashing .340/.500/.489, he's also been amazing against righties, hitting .328/.409/.379.
Martin has mainly been a left fielder this year, but has occasionally played right field in place of Wallner. With Wallner now out of the picture for the time being, Martin will more than likely be the Twins' primary righty fielder. As the leadoff hitter and right fielder on Thursday, Martin went 2-for-4 with a double, one walk and three RBI en route to the Twins defeating the Miami Marlins 9-1 in the rubber match of a three-game set.
Austin for ✌️!! pic.twitter.com/ZUr6csTTwx
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) May 14, 2026
Defensively, Martin has been great in left field this year, logging 4 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and 1 Out Above Average (OAA). In right field, he has -1 OAA and 0 DRS this season. Given his strong defensive stats from left field, the position he's played most this year, Martin will likely improve in right field the more he plays there.
Martin isn't only Twins outfielder who benefits from Wallner's demotion
Martin isn't the only player who will receive more playing time due to Wallner's demotion. Larnach is consistently in Minnesota's starting lineup vs. righties and may now receive more playing time against lefties. However, Shelton may still prefer to keep Larnach in a platoon role, as the left fielder has hit just .063/.167/.250 in 18 plate appearances against southpaws this year. Still, 18 plate appearances is a small sample size, meaning Larnach could still find himself in the lineup vs. lefties more often.
Utilityman Ryan Kreidler also benefits from Wallner's demotion. Kreidler, whom the Twins recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to take Wallner's roster spot, went 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBI against the Marlins on Thursday. Outfielder James Outman has already taken advantage of Wallner being removed from the 26-man roster, going 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBI as the starting left fielder on Thursday. If Wallner were still on the roster, Outman likely wouldn't have been in the starting lineup yesterday.
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