Who Is Oakland Athletics’ Rookie Pitcher Cody Martin?

With the month of September starting tomorrow, the Oakland Athletics have already planned on who they are going to call-up. Before Monday’s game, the Athletics announced that right handed pitcher Cody Martin will be starting on Tuesday. Chris Bassitt was originally suppose to take the mound tomorrow, so let’s hope that this change is just to evaluate Martin’s pitching ability in the big leagues and give Bassitt a day of rest. Another injury to the A’s starting rotation would be a big blow to an already struggling team.

So, who is Cody Martin and when did he join the Oakland Athletics? Martin was acquired from the Atlanta Braves on July 2, 2015. The Braves received an international bonus slot in exchange for Martin. Even though he is a starting pitcher in the minor leagues, he pitched 21.2 innings as a reliever for Atlanta this season. Even though his ERA was on the high side with a 5.40, Martin did strike out 24 in that time and showed promise in the month of April when he only allowed four runs over 12.2 innings pitched.

Since coming to the Oakland Athletics and playing with their Triple-A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds, Martin has pitched just ok. He has started ten games for the Sounds and has a 5.33 ERA with a 3-4 record. Even though his stuff is not that sharp, Martin has struck out 51 over 54 innings pitched.

Martin’s most promising pitch is his fastball, but he can also throw a slider, curve, and change-up, which allows him to mix it up when he is on the mound. Also, he tends to be very good at lasting late into the game and Martin very consistently reaches the sixth or seventh inning during his starts in the minor leagues. However, even though he has a lot of different pitches under his belt and has durability on the mound, he has never been a truly impressive pitcher and struggles with command. His fastball resides only in the high 80s – sometimes jumping up to a max of 92 miles per hour – and his other pitches are just mediocre.

It is also interesting that the A’s are bringing him up now when his pitching has grown increasingly worse as the season has progressed. Additionally, there have been questions in the past as to how much potential Martin actually has since the Brave did not protect him from the Rule 5 draft this offseason. Perhaps the A’s want to evaluate his true potential before making a decision as to whether to keep him or not.

It is also possible that they are testing Martin’s starting ability. He does tend to record a lot of strikeouts and did begin his baseball career off as a reliever. Perhaps the A’s are seeing if he is best suited for the rotation or the bullpen. Whatever the reason, A’s fans will see a new face on the mound, and let’s hope that he can find success in Oakland.

Next: Oakland Athletics' Switch Pitcher Pat Venditte Has Earned His Roster Spot