Because of the youth movement taking place in Pittsburgh, a lot has been made about the likes of Austin Meadows and Colin Moran, both of whom are mainstays now with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the minor leagues, the same can be said for Mitch Keller, Cole Tucker, Kevin Newman, among others.
A lot of those players have been written about ad nauseam, and for good reason; after all, they are on the doorstep to Pittsburgh. After some of the veterans move on after this season, like Jordy Mercer, David Freese, and Sean Rodriguez, more roster spots will be open. I can assure you these are some of the guys that will be taking their place.
But in the Pirates’ Rookie League affiliate in the Appalachian League, there’s a player that’s likely at least a couple of years from debuting at PNC Park. For those that closely follow the farm, you’re likely already familiar, at least in part to some of the inner workings with the Bristol Pirates.
The Bristol Pirates call Bristol, VA their home. Bristol is a relatively small town, part of which is in Virginia, while the other part is in Tennessee. The town is also affectionately referred to as the Birthplace of Country Music.
Tucked away with the hills within a residential area sits Boyce Cox Field at DeVault Memorial Stadium. The small complex only houses a maximum of 1,500 fans for home games, making it an intimate venue to get to perhaps watch the next generation of Pirates.
Prior to 2014, Bristol was home to the White Sox. Then the Pirates came to town. The city seemed to take to the new home club. Now there are some well-known names playing in the black and gold in Bristol, perhaps most notably Shane Baz, the Pirates first round (12th overall) pick in the 2017 Rule 4 Draft, a pitcher out of Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball, TX.
Also picked in the 17th round of last year’s draft was Mason Martin, a first baseman/outfielder from Southridge High School in Kennewick, WA.
Like Baz, Martin is only 19 years old. Unlike Baz, Martin began the year in Single-A Advanced West Virginia with the Power. He struggled to get things going through 45 games and 150 at-bats. Over that time, he only slashed .200/.302/.333. Those struggles prompted a demotion once Appalachian League play started up at the end of June.
Since joining the Bristol Pirates, Martin has slashed .267/.353/.667. In over 100 fewer plate appearances with Bristol, Martin already has one more home run than he did at West Virginia. Of course the talent level is considerably better at High-A, it’s still something worth noting how productive he’s been so far.
In the first week of the season, Martin was named Appy League Player of the Week. During that first week, he launched four home runs and 10 RBIs. These are all positive notes after struggling to get it going in West Virginia.
Martin currently ranks 24th in the Pirates’ Prospects list, as told by MLB.com. The scouting report indicates that what we’ve seen isn’t a fluke. As was already stated, he’s only 19, so there shouldn’t be too many concerns with his struggles at the advanced levels.
Martin projects to display average power, at the very least, with the expectation that he should be able to develop into a full-time first baseman with plus power. Because Martin’s a lefty, his power should translate well at PNC Park, with the short porch in right.
It was also noted in his scouting report that, even as a kid in high school, Martin displayed the kind of maturity that is sought in professional hitters, showing the ability to not only take pitches and walk against right-handed pitchers, but also lefties.
Martin is slow-footed, so although he’s listed a first baseman and outfielder, he’ll likely be relegated to only first base duties over the long haul.
If you happen to be around Bristol, swing by and check out a game featuring Shane Baz and Mason Martin. The Appalachian League schedule runs through the end of August. The playoffs begin at the start of September.
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