Speed can change a baseball game in ways that never appear in the box score. Austin Martin showed exactly how during Tuesday’s spring training matchup between the Minnesota Twins and the Tampa Bay Rays. Martin finished the afternoon with a hit, a walk, and a stolen base, but the moment that best captured his impact came in center field.
At one point during Tuesday’s spring training game, a ball floated toward center field and looked like it had a good chance of dropping safely onto the grass. A Rays fan sitting near me even said aloud, “Oh, that’s a hit.” But Austin Martin had other plans.
Martin closed the gap quickly and made the play look routine. What appeared destined to fall for a base hit instead became a simple out because of the ground he was able to cover. It was the kind of play that doesn’t always show up in the box score, but it perfectly illustrated what Martin’s speed can do for the Minnesota Twins. Martin’s afternoon included a hit, a walk, and a stolen base, but his defensive range in center field may have been the most telling moment of the game.
Austin Martin is a defensive option behind Byron Buxton
Martin’s defensive ability is particularly interesting for the Twins because of who currently patrols center field. When healthy, Byron Buxton remains one of the most dynamic defensive players in baseball. His speed and instincts allow him to cover enormous amounts of distance very quickly, turning difficult plays into routine outs. Over the course of a long season, however, Minnesota will likely look for ways to manage Buxton’s workload in the field or, in the case of injury, find a backup that can fill his shoes, if only partially.
James Outman currently profiles as the Twins’ primary backup option in center field. But Martin’s speed and defensive range give the club another player capable of covering the position when needed. No one truly replaces Buxton’s defense, but Martin has the speed to track balls into the gaps and cover plenty of ground in center field. That range gives the Twins some flexibility across the outfield.
Could Austin Martin earn a bigger role?
It’s still early in spring training, and the sample size remains small. But performances like Tuesday’s raise an interesting question as the Twins continue evaluating their roster heading toward Opening Day. Players who take away hits in the outfield and pressure defenses on the basepaths often find their way into the lineup more frequently than expected. Martin is projected to at least make the Opening Day roster, according to most sources, and if he continues to impact games with his defensive range and speed on the bases, a new question will rise to the surface: could he carve out a role larger than simply a platoon option? Time will tell.