2024 Draysbay Community Prospect Review: #23 Trevor Martin

Over the offseason, the Draybay community takes part in an exercise in which we compile a list of 30 prospects in the Rays system based on popular vote.

Now that the 2024 season has concluded, we can look back at these rankings and see how each individual player performed.

We have already covered

#30. Erick Lara . #29. Kenny Piper #28. Tanner Murray #27. Jacob Lopez #26. Marcus Johnson #25. Cole Wilcox #24. Dru Baker We resume the reviews at #23.

Since being selected in the 3rd round of the 2022 draft by the Rays, Martin has been emerged as a solid pitching prospect in the system thanks to a stellar debut campaign in 2023. Originally a relief pitcher in college, the Rays vamped up Martin to the starting rotation and he has flourished while maintaining an above average fastball. Entering the 2024 season, Martin was on the cusp of becoming the top pitching prospect in the Rays system.

Before the Season

23 | 6' 5" | 238

A | 3.52 ERA, 110.0 IP (25 G, 22 GS) 28.7% K, 9.0% BB

2022 third round selection Trevor Martin was drafted with the profile of a high octane reliever, with a fastball up to 98 for Oklahoma State. He made only seven starts across his two seasons prior to draft eligibility, but showed up at the right time in the playoffs to turn heads with 16 K's in 6.2 IP before the Rays selected him 104th overall. His emergence as a starter was a mild surprise, but the big bodied, 6'5" starter was up for task, becoming the first qualified Charleston pitcher to lead the team in ERA, strikeouts and wins since 2017. Tampa Bay clearly believes in him, giving him a start in the first week of Spring Training this year, where he struck out Cedric Mullins on three pitches (two swinging).

How it Went Martin started out the season as one of the best starting pitchers in the Rays system as he carved through opposing lineups in High-A. Start after start resulted in another dominating performance leading many to wonder why he hadn't been promoted to Double-A yet. After 14 starts, Martin finally received that promotion to Double-A and immediately ran into trouble. Facing more advanced competition, Martin's K% plummetted, while hitters were able to make much more solid contact against him leading to an inflated ERA.