Blue Jays prospect watch: Austin Martin focuses on shortstop in pursuit of big-league dream

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This article was published 22/05/2021 (1637 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ask Austin Martin what position he plays and his answer is always going to be shortstop.

In actuality, that hasn’t always been the case.

The Blue Jays’ top prospect among position players, and No. 2 in the system behind right-hander Nate Pearson, grew up at short. He played there in high school. It was at Vanderbilt University that he started to bounce around: short, designated hitter, first base, third base, left field, centre field.

So when the 22-year-old, drafted fifth overall last year, got to his first big-league spring training he hadn’t played the position consistently in about four years.

That’s changed.

Both Martin and Jordan Groshans, ranked third among Jays prospects, are now focusing on the position, director of player development Gil Kim said recently. That could be tricky, given they both play for the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Martin is still seeing some time in centre field, but two positions is a lot easier than six or seven.

“I know what my days look like and I know how to be able to prepare,” Martin said this past week. “In college, I didn’t even know what position I would be playing until I got to the field that morning.”

Martin missed four games last week because of a hand injury suffered on a slide, but returned with a three-hit night for the Fisher Cats on Friday. He has been working closely with New Hampshire manager Cesar Martin on improving his infield defence. They began collaborating last summer at the Jays’ alternate training site, just one of the steps Martin has taken, and benefitted from, as a player drafted during a global pandemic.

They focus on footwork, ensuring the infielder gets his body in the right position to field a ground ball and make the best play. He is one of many Jays prospects who tout the minor-league manager’s guidance. Martin also worked with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on his defence, in 2017 with the Lansing Lugnuts.

“I love working with Cesar because he keeps it so simple, and he gets his point across,” Martin said. “He really knows how to talk to the players.”

Martin and Groshans may one day compete for one spot in the majors. Jays general manager Ross Atkins said last fall that both could vie for a promotion this season, with Martin projecting slightly ahead because of his college experience. For now, though, they are teammates pushing each other to get there.

Groshans reached out to Martin when he was drafted last year, and the two clicked when they travelled to Toronto for summer camp.

“The relationship’s good; the relationship’s really good,” said Martin. “Any time we’re out on the field, we’re giving each other tips on what we see. We’re trying to help each other get better. We’re just trying to help each other get to the next level, and I think that’s a really good thing.”

That extends to everyone in the Fisher Cats clubhouse, he added. Martin, Groshans, catcher Gabriel Moreno and pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson are all ranked among the Jays’ top seven prospects. Expectations are high.

“I see this team’s potential and I know that we can do special things this year,” Martin said. “I think everybody in the clubhouse knows how talented and how good we are as a team. It’s just a matter of us getting used to playing with each other … just maturing as a group. Once that starts happening, we’re going to start rolling.”

DOWN THE PIPE

The Blue Jays’ prospect pipeline is among the best in baseball. Here’s a look at one player at each level who excelled over the past week:

Triple-A

SS/3B Kevin Smith

Buffalo Bisons

He got off to a slow start at the plate, hitting .167 through his first eight games, but found his way over the last week: 8-for-22 with three home runs and eight RBIs. The hype around Smith, drafted in 2017 and ranked as high as sixth in the system, has died down in recent years. That may be changing.

Double-A

2B Otto Lopez

New Hampshire Fisher Cats

The Jays’ No. 11-ranked prospect has at least one hit in all but one of his 16 games, and a 4-for-4 night on May 14 really seemed to get Lopez rolling. Last week, he went 10-for-25 with three walks and three RBIs. He is challenging last week’s featured Fisher Cat, catcher Gabriel Moreno, as the club’s offensive juggernaut.

High-A

RH C.J. Van Eyk

Vancouver Canadians

He’s only three games into his professional career, but has already put up one standout performance: allowing one run on just two hits over six innings against the Hillsboro Hops on Friday. The win was the Canadians’ eighth in a row, their longest streak in more than 16 years. Nine strikeouts from the Jays’ No. 10 prospect helped them get there.

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Low-A

C Zach Britton

Dunedin Blue Jays

He continues to impress this season, thanks in large part to his eye at the plate. Britton leads the club with a .967 OPS. He also had nearly as many walks (14) as strikeouts (15) as of Saturday.

Laura Armstrong is a Star sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @lauraarmy