The Las Vegas Aristocrats are "99 percent sure" that Austin Martin will be the top overall pick in Sunday's RDBL Reserve Draft according to sources close to the club. The club's Scouting Department took a hard look at shortstop CJ Abrams, but Martin has been assured that he will indeed be the first name selected.
Taken by the Blue Jays fifth overall in the 2020 MLB Draft, lower than the Vanderbilt standout was projected to go, Martin has been thrown into the deep end. With no Minor League play in '20, Martin was instead at Toronto's alternate training site, facing pitchers who were Triple-A and Major League caliber. This spring, he’s been right back at it, in camp as a non-roster invitee and facing pitchers more advanced than what he’d be seeing in the Minors.
Martin has a mature approach at the plate and quality bat-to-ball skills that made him the toughest hitter in a power conference to strike out. Additionally, Martin's exit velocities suggest there might be above-average raw power in his bat to tap into. He runs well and runs smart, and he's a versatile defender -- at least in the sense that he can stand-in at short, second, third, and in center. The latter might be his permanent landing spot, though it would fit with the modern era if the Blue Jays have Martin play a little bit of everywhere.
A big 2021 campaign in the Minor Leagues could position Martin for a call-up and activation as soon as 2022.
The 'Crats are selected 1st overall for the 2nd time in Franchise History.
Around the RDBL
- Provided Martin does go first overall, the Meinert Hops are lined up to select CJ Abrams who homered for the second time this Spring on Monday.
- There was some frustrated chatter following the Idaho Taters trade of Austin Meadows as multiple clubs had indicated they had pushed for the outfielder in a deal this off-season with limited traction before seeing him quickly shuttled to the Spokane Fightin' Fish. The Taters, who have voiced their rebuilding plan, also surprised teams around the league by including Ke'Bryan Hayes in the deal as the activation-ready third baseman looked to be a core piece of their future.
- The Stacks reportedly made a hard run at both Bryce Harper and Hunter Dozier from the Maltese Falcons, but the club was unwilling to part with both a 1st and 3rd Round selection. The Stacks countered with a 1st Round Pick on Monday straight up for Harper before ultimately pulling back and submitting their Keeper Roster without a deal.
- The Maulers rebuild includes holding back a trio of activation-ready prospects including Willy Adames, an off-season addition from the Lake Merced Goutfish. Adames already has over 1,100 plate appearances and should cross 1,600 in 2021 before finally lining up for a 2022 activation.
- The Maulers offered the duo Zach Davies and Colin Moran to the Mt. Diablo Devils on Monday according to sources while seeking left-hander Yusei Kikuchi in return. The Devils passed on the move, a sign that they plan to retain Kikuchi who had sparking underlying numbers in 2020 despite a high ERA. The Maulers quickly pivoted and sent Davies and Moran to the Aristocrats before the deadline.
- The Lunatic Fringe tested the market for Patrick Corbin (2/$31) and determined the left-hander was right about equal in value to what he was expecting to receive in Auction. That pushed GM Tony Guglielmi to retain him for 2021.