South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 71: Luis Martinez

Without more fluid mechanics, this lanky righthander’s future is in the bullpen

By whisoxman20051917 Mar 31, 2019, 8:42am CDT

**Tallboys:** Like fellow hoopster Alec Hansen, Martinez has struggled to repeat his delivery, leading to uneven results.

Luis Martinez
6´6´´
190 pounds
Throws: Right
Age: 24
SSS rank among all right-handed starters in the system: 15

Martinez, a native of Venezuela, signed a minor league contract as a 16-year-old on Dec. 16, 2011. He didn’t begin playing for the Chicago White Sox organization until 2014 due to Tommy John surgery. He posted a combined a 2.93 ERA and 1.39 WHIP for the AZL Sox and Great Falls in 2014, and struggled badly the following year with Kannapolis.

Martinez rebounded in 2016, with a 3.81 ERA and 1.29 WHIP for the Intimidators, vastly improving his walk and strikeout rates. In 2017, Martinez struggled badly in five outings with Winston-Salem, posting a 9.00 ERA and 2.19 WHIP over 16 innings as he allowed 25 hits (.362 OBA) and 10 walks (5.63 BB/9) and striking out just eight (4.50 K/9). After being demoted to Kannapolis, Martinez fared quite well, with a 3.19 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 79 innings, relinquishing 69 hits (.232 OBA) and 24 walks (2.73 BB/9) while striking out 85 (9.68 K/9).

This past season, exclusively with Winston-Salem, Martinez posted a 4.47 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in a career high-tying 137 innings. In those frames, he allowed 137 hits (.259 OBA) and 59 walks (3.88 BB/9) while fanning 113 hitters (7.42 K/9). As a tall hurler like Alec Hansen, Martinez’s mechanics have a tendency to get out of whack, which has caused his walk rates to be a bit inflated. His fastball peaks at 95 mph, and he also features a slightly-above average slider and improving changeup, limiting the damage done by left-handed hitters.

Martinez hasn’t really made significant improvements in his career; thus, he still finds himself toiling in A-ball. He should return to Winston-Salem to begin the season, and if he gets good results, will be promoted to Birmingham at some point. However, if he posts middling numbers like he’s done during his White Sox career, Martinez may be transitioned to the bullpen, where his fastball could gain a couple ticks.