Stiven Martinez 2024

[Yossarian]

https://www.si.com/mlb/orioles/news/this-baltimore-orioles-prospect-rising-fast-at-17-years-old

Anyone know anything about this kid?  17 year- old and rising fast through the pipeline rankings. 

[Yossarian]

Autocorrected to Steven.  Should be Stiven 

[Frobby]

8 hours ago, Yossarian said:

https://www.si.com/mlb/orioles/news/this-baltimore-orioles-prospect-rising-fast-at-17-years-old

Anyone know anything about this kid?  17 year- old and rising fast through the pipeline rankings. 

Read the DSL thread.  He’s prominently mentioned there.  And in the Jan. 2024 signings thread.   

[RZNJ]

Stiven Martínez just turned 17 on Thursday, so he’s one of the youngest players in the league as the cutoff is that you must turn 17 by August 31 of the current season in order to sign that year.

In that regard he follows Basallo, and Joshua Liranzo as promising DSL prospects who played most of their first season at 16.

Martinez’ calling card is his plus, maybe ++, power and a plus, maybe ++, throwing arm.   His weakness is swing and miss.   He’s over 30% this year.

He profiles as a RF as long as he doesn’t lose too much speed as he ages and fills out.

It certainly looks like he’s punched his ticket to the FCL next spring.

[sportsfan8703]

He definitely deserves his own thread. Hitting prospect wise, he’s in the mix with Estrada and O’Ferral for who is #4 behind Basallo, Honeycutt, and EBJ. 

[Rbiggs2525]

2 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

He definitely deserves his own thread. Hitting prospect wise, he’s in the mix with Estrada and O’Ferral for who is #4 behind Basallo, Honeycutt, and EBJ. 

I agree with the premise but he will not get any prospect traction until he hits at Delmarva. DSL and FCL are such a crap shoot early on. Love that we stole him from the Yankees.

[Just Regular]

3 minutes ago, Rbiggs2525 said:

I agree with the premise but he will not get any prospect traction until he hits at Delmarva. DSL and FCL are such a crap shoot early on. Love that we stole him from the Yankees.

Perhaps even today Koby or one of his people are talking to some 13 or 14 year olds like..."You see Spencer Jones?    You see Samuel Basallo?"     

How about that Brian Cashman telling Jasson Dominguez "no path" exists because of I guess Alex Verdugo.

[Rbiggs2525]

1 minute ago, Just Regular said:

Perhaps even today Koby or one of his people are talking to some 13 or 14 year olds like..."You see Spencer Jones?    You see Samuel Basallo?"     

How about that Brian Cashman telling Jasson Dominguez "no path" exists because of I guess Alex Verdugo.

Yes that and the success of this year’s team. It’s a tough competition for the top prospects with teams like Braves, Mariners, Rays. Looking for us to get a top 10 guy soon.

[Sports Guy]

The Intl market may be what keeps the org rankings solid long term, especially if the draft strategy doesn’t improve.

[Tony-OH]

2 hours ago, Rbiggs2525 said:

I agree with the premise but he will not get any prospect traction until he hits at Delmarva. DSL and FCL are such a crap shoot early on. Love that we stole him from the Yankees.

Martinez's start and his tools makes him very interesting for sure, but I agree, we have to wait until he hits Delmarva because we've seen some guys who have done well, with less whiff, and then struggle when they hit Delmarva.

Martinez's 30.7% K% is 3rd worse in the whole system among players that qualify for their leagues. Now he's one of the youngest players and that matters, but I do have some concerns about players with that much miss against DSL pitching. 

Let's look at Martinez vs significant DSL alumni and current players (as of 15 Aug):

Player                  Age       K%       BB%       wRC+
Aaron Estrada     17       13.2%    16.7%     178
Jordan Sanchez   18       20.0%    14.8%     166
Elvin Garcia         17       18.0%    19.4%     154
Stiven Martinez   16       30.7%    15.7%     134
F. Bencosme        18       11.4%      7.0%     125 
Emilio Sanchez    17       18.0       24.9%     113   
Samuel Basallo    16       20.6%    12.3%     109
Leandro Arias      17       21.6%    14.2%      88
Thomas Sosa       17      26.3%       8.8%      68

So Martinez has the worse K%, even more than Sosa who has struggled to make adjustments at Delmarva but he walks more, and put up a significantly better wRC+.

Elvin Garcia may be somebody people are sleeping on. His K-BB rate is outstanding, he's producing, and has not been terrible defensively at SS.  

Saying that, Martinez is a impressive player and it will be interesting to see how he does next year in the FCL and whether he can end up in Delmarva by the end of the year. 

If he does, he could really fly up the prospect list.

 

 

 

 

[Just Regular]

I wonder if this very hour Stiven Martinez is in the same "How to hit" class in Sarasota with Vance Honeycutt..

[RZNJ]

1 hour ago, Just Regular said:

I wonder if this very hour Stiven Martinez is in the same "How to hit" class in Sarasota with Vance Honeycutt..

That would be quite the trick since he’s battling 3rd and playing CF for the Orioles Dominican Orange team today.

[Frobby]

Martinez hit a game-winning three run homer in the bottom of the 9th today to clinch the DSL Northwest Division title for Orioles Orange.  Way to go, Stiven!