EVERETT — Last Wednesday, Mario Martinez showed what having baseball tools is all about.
The Everett AquaSox third baseman stood in the batter’s box, behind in the count — two strikes, no balls. Yakima’s pitcher Andrew Wolcott then threw a nasty breaking ball, not only down and away, but also well out of the strike zone.
Martinez, already committed to the swing, needed to get his bat on the ball or walk away a strikeout victim. His skill took over.
He reached out and just managed to connect. His reach was long enough that he was able to get the ball in the air. His strength was great enough that his soft liner had just enough juice to float over the head of the shortstop for a single.
It’s moments this season like those that explain why Martinez just might be the best major-league prospect on Everett’s roster.
The AquaSox might not have many players currently on their roster who appear on the Seattle Mariners’ top prospect lists, but the tools-laden Martinez is the exception.
“He’s one of our top prospects,” Mariners director of minor-league operations and former AquaSox manager Pedro Grifol said. “He’s got all the tools to become a major impact player.”
Martinez, one of a steady stream of quality Latin prospects unearthed by Seattle’s international operations under Bob Engle’s stewardship, passes the eyeball test with flying colors. The native of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, is 6-foot-3, and his muscular chest suggests his listed weight of 170 pounds is a gross underestimation. Despite his size, he’s an agile third baseman who’s shown the ability to make all the plays. And once he gets up to speed, he can fly.
So far, Martinez has put his tools to good effect. In 2007, his first season playing in the U.S., he batted .281 in 53 games for Peoria of the rookie Arizona League. Last season for Pulaski of the rookie Class A Appalachian League, he batted .319 in 64 games and was named the league’s fifth-best prospect by Baseball America. So far for Everett, he’s batting .306 with eight doubles and four triples in 21 games.
And Martinez’s success in the minors extends beyond the playing field. Grifol said Martinez needed just one stint in the Mariners’ instructional league — a span of a mere five weeks — to gain a grasp of English, and the affable Martinez is always enthusiastic about conversing in his second language, a smile plastered across his face.
All of which can make it easy to forget that he’s still just 19 years old, although one look at his boyish face — complete with braces on his teeth — serves as an easy reminder of his tender age.
“He’s one of the youngest players in the (Northwest League),” Grifol said. “One of the things I love so much about him is that although he’s so young, he’s smart and he applies instruction. That, along with being a physical kid, means he should be able to play for a long time.”
Given his background, it’s not surprising Martinez is blessed with tools. His parents were both athletes — mom played volleyball and dad played soccer, both at the regional level in Venezuela. His two brothers were standouts in volleyball, soccer, basketball and baseball.
However, Martinez’s primary sport was always baseball, and ever since his mother introduced him to the sport at 5 years old his goal has been to play in the majors.
“I played volleyball and soccer in Venezuela when I was younger, but my priority was baseball,” Martinez said. “It’s my dream, to play in the major leagues.”
His diverse tool set gives Martinez multiple potential paths of development. His high batting averages and gap power suggest he could become an effective top-of-the-order hitter. However, with his size and strength he could easily develop his power and become a slugger. And although he’s already a good third baseman, should he outgrow the position he has the speed and arm to move into the outfield.
“He can develop into so many different types of players,” Grifol said. “We don’t know how big he’s going to be at 24, 25, so he could be a guy who hits 40 doubles, or he could be a guy who hits homers. What we do know is that he has impact major-league potential.”
However, Martinez hit his first bump on the road to the majors this spring. He began the season with Clinton of the mid Class A Midwest League and he struggled at the plate. In 61 games he batted just .214 with two home runs. When the Northwest League season opened in June, the Mariners decided it would be best for Martinez to get a fresh start one level down.
“In the Midwest League I had good at bats, bad at bats,” Martinez explained. “It was pretty mental. I wasn’t hitting, so I put my emphasis on defense. Then they told me to go to Everett.
“I feel much better here, more relaxed because I don’t have a lot of pressure,” Martinez added. “It’s a new season here, I start at zero, and I feel more relaxed.”
That increased comfort is something Sox manager John Tamargo has noticed. And if Martinez maintains that comfort level, he might not be long for the Northwest League.
“When I saw him back in Clinton, I thought he just needed to gain confidence because he has all the ability in the world,” Tamargo said. “He’s a legitimate major-league prospect so we’ve got to be careful not to rush him, and we might have rushed him a bit with his being so young. But he’s starting to feel confident and that’s the big thing.
“If he gets it together he’s going to move pretty quick. Hopefully he won’t be here the whole year.”
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