The Minnesota Twins have officially called up Austin Martin to make his Major League Baseball debut. However, he was still in St. Paul two days ago, getting ready for the start of his Triple-A squad by working out with them. Here is what he discussed prior to his 2024 season with Theodore Tollefson of Twins Daily.
Austin Martin was one of those who anticipated that his MLB debut in 2024 would come as a matter of when rather than if. The chance arrived sooner than Martin had anticipated because he will be playing in the Twins’ opening day game on Saturday afternoon after fellow infielder Royce Lewis went down with a quad injury on Opening Day Thursday.
Returning to St. Paul on Thursday, Martin continued to train with the Twins Triple-A affiliate, hitting in their subterranean batting changes and catching up with his former minor league pals. He received the call to join the Twins in Major League Baseball just two days later.
Martin never gave much thought to when he would make his debut because it was completely beyond his control.
“I try to control what I can,” Martin declared on Thursday at CHS Field. And those are the things I can manage: my approach to work, my arrival at the ballpark, and my level of effort on the field. That’s really where my attention is; I can’t really be thinking too much ahead of time; it’s a grind that I have to endure on a daily basis. particularly when it comes to something that I truly can’t decide on. I can only try to play well every day when I’m on the field.
Fortunately for Martin, the field conditions on Friday forced the postponement of the home opener, meaning he would not have to play a single snap with the Saints to begin the 2024 season. Until Lewis comes off the injured list, he will now stay with the Twins for the foreseeable future.
With St. Paul, he concluded the 2023 season with a bang. With a.427 on-base percentage, he scored.286. In his final 40 games of the season, he stole 13 bases, hit a home run, and drove in 21 runs. Martin says that by concentrating on his advantages, he has achieved a great deal of his success back.
“I’m just building on last season, 100% of everything. Since I made that modification in the latter part of 23, I believe. I believe I’ve made a lot of growth in myself since I recovered from my initial injury, particularly on the pitch. Martin stated, “I feel a lot more confident now that I’ve made that adjustment, and the results are starting to show.”
Martin’s spring training games this year may have produced their finest numbers yet, as he slashed.208/.321/.250 in 10 games. However, similar to numerous athletes, those figures only reflect the need to recover from the off-season and give their bodies enough rest so they can play every day.
He had time to get to know Shawn Schlechter, the new hitting coach for the Saints. Schlechter has been with the Twins system since 2020 and has gradually moved up the ranks from High-A to Triple-A as the hitting coach for each affiliate. Though Martin has always been a step above where Schlecter is teaching in the Minors, their first season together appeared to be beginning in 2024.
Schlechter stated, “I believe he is aware of his superpower, which is dominating the zone, making smart hitting choices, and hitting line drives all over the field.” Which is something I believe he has returned to: knowing his strategy and plan, adhering to it, making a commitment to it, and being deliberate when he enters the room.
Despite their brief collaboration over the past two months, Martin claims that their springtime partnership proved to be highly productive.
“I adore him; I worked with him this spring. He seems like a fantastic man, and I think we can accomplish a lot of things here. I believe that he is still trying to understand me—my habits, my way of thinking, how I function, and other things. Martin stated, “At the moment, he’s just kind of observing me and letting me go. If he has anything for me, I’m sure he’ll let me know.”
Martin’s top concern during Spring Training was not how he would perform in games, but rather how he would adapt to playing left and right field, two new positions the Twins wanted him to play in 2024.
“I anticipate that it will resemble last year’s appearance. There will be a lot of running around, presumably primarily between center field and second base, though there may also be some games in left and right field, he added.
Since joining the Twins organization in August 2021, Martin has spent the most time at second base and center field, where he feels most at ease. He understands that it is doubtful that he would play shortstop in the Major League Baseball, but he is willing to take on the responsibilities of playing in the corner outfield spots.
Playing on the corners is a little different because, depending on the hitter’s bat type (left or right), the ball comes at you in a different way. That’s just the kind of thing that experience makes you consider. The ball goes in the air, and you have to run and get it, so it’s not really that big of an adjustment, Martin said.
Martin now has the chance to play in his first Major League game before the weekend is out against the Kansas City Royals. Although his status on the club is still up in the air, he is a right-handed hitter who can play every position in the outfield and second base, so before the Twins depart Kansas City for Milwaukee, there will definitely be a chance for him to get some playing time.
“I just need to take care of my business, and I’m confident that it’s more a matter of when than if.” And that’s all I need to do to be okay.
