Detroit Tigers projected to draft infielder Austin Martin

In Baseball America’s latest update of their 2020 mock draft, the Tigers are projected to select Austin Martin, Vanderbilt’s third baseman, as a shortstop.

College baseball is underway, and that means that the MLB draft is drawing ever closer. Saddled with a big-league club that inspires little confidence, a lot of attention among Detroit fans will be aimed squarely at the amateur draft. For the second time in three years, the Tigers were the worst team in baseball, but that means they will be in line to grab a tremendously talented player with the first overall pick this June. Thus far, four players have established themselves as the clear frontrunners for the top spot. Baseball America predicts the eventual pick will be Austin Martin.

Martin, ranked third in the draft class by Baseball America, is a six-foot-tall infielder who plays for Vanderbilt University. He’s spending the majority of his time this season playing at third base, but scouts believe he’d be more than capable of handling a more defensively challenging position – possibly shortstop, second base, or even center field. His defense is more than respectable but it isn’t the calling card of Martin’s game. No, he’ll be drafted for his capabilities at the plate.

The 2019 season was an outstanding one for Martin. He hit for a monster .392/.486/.604 line, including 10 home runs and a more walks than strikeouts. The production isn’t simply the result of a calm manner at the plate and a muscled build like some college mashers. His swing is geared for both more contact than power, but that is more of a comment in his exceptional feel to hit than a lack of power. He is capable of putting strong contact on pitches thrown to any part of the zone and his barrel stays in the zone for a long time.

Another encouraging sign is that his power comes more from bat speed than musculature despite the fact that his build simply oozes athleticism. Bat speed projects better towards long-term power projection than an approach overly reliant on a powerful core or arms because bat speed tends to decline more slowly than muscular build.

Take a look at some recent video:

Martin would be more than welcome as an addition to the Tigers’ farm system. Detroit’s pipeline is headlined by a group of pitchers that could rival any in recent memory, transforming the once barren farm into one of the better ones in the game. Its weakness is a lack of position players who have a realistic shot at playing every day in the major leagues. The best position player in the system is outfielder Riley Greene, and it’s a steep drop-off from Greene to the group that includes Daz Cameron, Jake Rogers, and Willi Castro, with only Isaac Paredes in between.

The similarities between Martin and Greene include an advanced approach and remarkable athletic ability, but Martin has the edge on Greene in one distinct category: polish. He’s the elder player by only a year and a half, but he’s already conquered Division 1 baseball. Greene still has a good chance of washing out – it’s in the nature of prospects – but Martin is generally considered an especially high-floor player. He could gain an extra boost in the eyes of the Tigers’ front office because his projected arrival would match up nicely with the pitching corps’ timeline.

Clearly, adding Martin would go a long way toward bolstering the Tigers’ offensive future. As of right now, he’s the player to beat for the first overall selection.