Oakland Athletics’ Top Four 2015 Draft Picks Impress In Debut Season
Jun 20, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; Florida Gators shortstop Richie Martin (12) juggles a grounder against the Virginia Cavaliers in the eighth inning at the 2015 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Virginia won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
First Round: Shortstop Richie Martin
In the first round of the 2015 Draft, the Oakland Athletics took shortstop Richie Martin as the 20th overall pick. The A’s have Martin ranked fourth, already ahead of other infielders like Chad Pinder, Joey Wendle and Yairo Munoz.
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The Athletics’ primarily drafted him for his glove, and in that aspect, he didn’t disappoint. Martin’s weakness, however, has always been his offense. It’s a little unusual to take a light-hitting shortstop so early in the draft, but that should explain just how good his fielding abilities are. On scouting’s 30-80 scale, Martin received a 60 grade in the Run, Arm and Field categories. His hitting ability was only a 50, and his power was a diminutive 35. Other comments about Martin included praise for his plate discipline and ability to take a walk, with a fairly low strikeout rate.
Those predictions were fairly accurate for his 2015 campaign with the short-season Vermont Lake Monsters. He played in 51 games, batting .237/.353/.342 with a pair of home runs and seven stolen bases. That’s a bit more power than expected, and he also struck out 20.8 percent of the time – a little on the high side for Martin.
What was impressive is his on-base percentage, which was over 115 points higher than his average. He had a walk rate over 11 percent, which is always a good sign at such a low level.
Martin is a college draft pick, though, so expectations are high for the 20-year-old shortstop. He was actually first drafted out of high school in 2012, but didn’t sign with the Mariners after he wasn’t chosen until the 38th round. A three-year jump from the 38th round to being selected 20th overall is a big leap, and it shows that Martin was able to continue to improve, even while facing tougher competition.
His ability to defend has never been in question, so it’s just his ability to hit well enough to stay in the lineup that remains an issue. The 2015 season didn’t do anything to quell those fears, so Martin has probably earned a solid “B” grade for meeting expectations.