Despite no games, Pirates' minor league player of year Mason Martin made most of his swings

Mason Martin was about to get his first true test against major-league pitching. It was only an exhibition game, but it was at PNC Park and Cleveland closer James Karinchak was pitching in the ninth inning.

That Martin was left standing in the on-deck circle when the game ended was a disappointment, one that steeled his determination for a summer spent in Altoona without baseball games.

“It was awesome for me because it gives you a taste of your dream,” Martin said by phone Wednesday from Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., where he’s participating in an instructional league. “I’ve been dreaming about PNC for four seasons. It lets you know you’re close. It was a great atmosphere, even with an exhibition game and no fans in the stands. It just makes me want it even more.”

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2019 minor league player of the year, Martin is fueled by an inner drive to make his major-league dream come true. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound first baseman hit 35 home runs and had 129 RBIs last year, split between Class A advanced Bradenton and full season Greensboro.

Ticketed to play this past summer for the Double-A Altoona Curve, Martin arrived at the Pirates’ alternate training site in what he believes was the best shape of his career. Always looking for an edge, he is convinced that his attention to detail will make the difference.

Martin is convinced that cross training has helped his athleticism, so he added to his weightlifting regime such activities as yoga for balance, breathing and flexibility, playing tennis for agility and boxing drills like hitting the heavy bag and speed bag to improve hand-eye coordination and bat speed.

But Martin’s main priority is refining his craft and perfecting his routine – along with reducing his strikeout rate from 35 % (165 in 477 at bats). Not only did he work to shorten his swing but to set the top of his strike zone, picking a height where he wouldn’t chase. Martin admits it’s as much about his decision making as it is his plate discipline.

“That’s been my main focus in terms of offense this year,” Martin said. “It’s something I’ve tried to be consistent with. Sometimes, I would get too aggressive, even in hitter’s counts. I would get my mind made up that I’m hitting a pitch right here, even before the ball was thrown.

“Now, I want to see the ball. Before, they’d throw a slider in the dirt and I’d already made up my mind. Getting a good pitch to hit, that’s the most simple approach you can have but also the most important. That’s my focus this year, cutting down the swing and miss and when I do decide to swing, try to put a barrel on it.”

While Martin didn’t get was to play in any actual games, he got plenty of at bats. Practicing at the alternate training site helped his cause, as he faced a higher level of competition on a daily basis. He faced Triple-A pitching, as well as those who made cameos with the Pirates, such as Cody Ponce and Nick Mears.

“It’s easy to miss the game action and miss the fans coming out to the game,” Martin said. “You just can’t recreate that atmosphere, with 8,000-10,000 fans screaming. But going against the level of competition and pitching we were facing at Altoona – we were getting two to three at bats a day – it was a lot like real-game competition. Those guys were good and getting to face those guys every day was huge for my development. When you’re facing guys with that nasty of stuff, you’ve got to really focus and be on point if you want to have success.”

Martin also spent the summer working on his fielding at first base with roving infield instructor Gary Green and special assistant Kevin Young, the former Pirates star. Although Martin was drafted in the 17th round in 2017 as an outfielder – he signed above-slot for $350,000, the price of a fifth-rounder – he played always infield until his senior year of high school in Kennewick, Wash.

After his breakout 2019 season, Martin’s stock rose from being ranked the Pirates’ No. 28 prospect to No. 18 by MLB.com. That moved him ahead of first baseman Will Craig, the Pirates’ 2016 first-round pick.

Perhaps the most valuable move for Martin was getting to practice and play at PNC Park with the Pirates for the final game exhibition series against Cleveland. Martin spent time in the batting cage getting pointers from hitting coach Rick Eckstein and his brother, special assistant David Eckstein, and was able to pick the brain of Pirates All-Star first baseman Josh Bell. Martin even got to play two innings in the field at first.

What he didn’t get was a chance to face Karinchak and flash the left-handed power that could play with the short porch in right field.

“Hitting at PNC Park is defintely a lot of fun for me. It plays to my strengths,” Martin said. “Obviously, it’s just one of the best parks in the whole league. Just knowing that’s what I’m shooting for is a great feeling. Playing games at PNC Park for a long time doesn’t sound like too bad of a thing.”