The work Austin Martin is doing with Wichita Wind Surge to earn promotion from Twins
Wichita baseball fans might not have long to appreciate the talent of Austin Martin, one of the Minnesota Twins’ brightest prospects who will begin the season at the Double A level with the Wichita Wind Surge.
After leading Vanderbilt to the 2019 College World Series title, Martin was drafted No. 5 overall in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays before being traded to the Twins last summer at the deadline. He is regarded as one of the best pure hitters in the minor leagues and ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Twins’ farm system.
Martin brings plenty of star power on what is believed to be another strong Wind Surge team that is looking to defend its regular-season league championship from last season. Wichita kicks off the 2022 season with a three-game homestand against the Tulsa Drillers with the first pitch of the season slated for 7 p.m. Friday at Riverfront Stadium, while the team also plays at 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
“Playing in pro ball, there’s a lot of guys who are very talented, but when you get around a guy like Austin Martin, you see him do things that even good players can’t do,” said Austin Schulfer, a Wind Surge pitcher. “He does things that make you say, ‘Wow’ with just his pure athleticism.”
“Seeing him for two months at the end of last season was pretty incredible,” said Spencer Steer, another top middle infielder prospect who will start in Wichita. “You hear a lot about guys like that, but once you see them finally play it’s even more impressive.”
Martin played 37 games in Wichita at the end of last summer, posting a .254 batting average with a .399 on-base percentage to go along with three home runs, 19 RBIs and five stolen bases. He is working on developing his power a bit, but there are few questions about what he can do at the plate.
“He’s fun to watch because he never surrenders,” Wind Surge manager Ramon Barrego said. “He’s always attacking. He’s always going to give you 100 percent on the field. He’s going to be a special player for us.”
The more pressing area of improvement Martin is looking to make in Wichita is defensively in the field, where the Twins have told him to focus on being a shortstop — a position he hasn’t played full-time since he was a high school senior in 2017.
“They’re teaching me how to own my defense like I do my offense,” Martin told The Eagle. “That wasn’t something that I’ve always done throughout my career. Offensively, I always had my routine. I always knew what I needed to do to get ready, but defensively I kind of lacked on that.”
Vanderbilt used Martin all over the field — in the outfield, all around the infield — except shortstop. In his first pro season last year, Martin played more in center field (46 games) than he did at shortstop (43 games).
After bouncing around so much the last four years, Martin says he believes knowing every day what position he’ll be playing could help him improve drastically.
“I wouldn’t say I lost my identity (bouncing around), but I definitely took on a mind set of being a utility guy,” Martin said. “Now it seems like (the Twins) want me to focus on shortstop and that’s where I’m going to put 100 percent of my effort. It’s one of the most important positions on the field, so I’m excited about it.”
Martin is a superb athlete, which gives him a tantalizing potential as a defender at shortstop. But his footwork is still a work-in-progress, as is his consistency throwing — evident by the 16 errors he committed in 43 games playing shortstop last season.
In Wichita, Martin’s top priority is improving his footwork. He believes he can “without a doubt” be a plus defender in time.
“I’m just focused on being as consistent as I possibly can be,” Martin said. “It’s just a matter of getting in those reps and getting comfortable there and owning that position.”
If Martin elevates his defense and continues to show off his bat at the plate, his teammates know they might not be able to call him a teammate for long.
“The cool thing about Austin is he is going to be good wherever you put him,” said Matt Canterino, Wichita’s opening-night starter. “You know wherever he’s at, you’re not going to have a hole on offense or defense. He is going to be awesome and we’re going to be happy to have him for as long as he’s here.”
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