Chicago Cubs minor league outfielder Trey Martin wasn’t just the best defensive outfielder in the Cubs farm system last season, he was the best in all of minor league baseball. Now with the Tennessee Smokies after being called up from the High-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans in early June, he’s picked up right where he left off when he received the 2015 Rawlings Gold Glove Award.
Receiving the award was a moment that Martin will never forget, as his childhood hero, Andruw Jones of the Atlanta Braves, was a consistent Gold Glove winner.
“It meant a lot,” Martin said. “I found out when we were in the first round of the playoffs last year. It was an honor. I grew up watching Andruw Jones playing center field so I always wanted to be like him and win a Gold Glove.”
Martin's Blast Ignites Smokies to Win, 5-4: CF Trey Martin continued his recent romp through the Southern Lea… https://t.co/QwWnnrTTxZ
— JoeCamel (@JoeCamel_Sports) July 18, 2016
But now Martin is able to do some real damage at the plate, raising his batting average over the last month from below .200 to a respectable .248 coming into Saturday night’s game against the Chattanooga Lookouts. Over his last 10 games with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies Martin is hitting. 343 with five RBIs.
“My swing is starting to come together,” Martin said. “I’ve had to make a lot of adjustments to get into a good hitting position. I’m still working on the approach side of things and the mental side of things.”
Martin is from Snellville, Ga. and grew up close to his fellow Smokies teammate Daniel Lockhart. In fact, the two were bitter rivals growing up until they became friends on the same travel ball team in high school. They both committed to Kennesaw State to play baseball, but were both drafted by the Chicago Cubs. Lockhart in the 10th round and Martin in the 13th round. The two men have known each other since the sixth grade.
“We’ve been good friends since high school,” Martin said. “It’s fun. You know you’ve always got somebody on your side. When you’re home, you’ve got somebody to work with and knows what you’re going through.”
Tyler O’Neill and Leon Landry reach base but @PaulyB_34 strands them there on a great play by Trey Martin.
M1: TNS 0 – JXN 0
— Smokies on Radio (@SmokiesOnRadio) July 7, 2016
Martin is from a talented sports family. His oldest brother Tony ran track at Fort Valley State and the middle brother, Chris, played football at Jackson State and Shaw University. For Trey, the focus was always on baseball and when the Cubs called his name in the 2011 draft after his senior year at Brookwood High School, it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
“It was something I always really wanted to do,” Martin said. “When I got drafted everything just matched up. It wasn’t too hard of a decision after talking about it with my parents after everything came together.”
A sliding grab by CF Trey Martin ends the top of the fourth.
M4: Lookouts 3, Smokies 2
— Smokies on Radio (@SmokiesOnRadio) June 12, 2016
Still, it’s a decision not every player makes. Some still choose to go on to college after being drafted in the later rounds, but Martin is glad he didn’t. He needed shoulder surgery his second year as a pro and thinks it might have hurt his draft position if he’d chosen to go on to college.
“I think it has (paid off),” Martin said. “I had to get shoulder surgery in my second year so it was good to have that paid for by the Cubs and still be in the system. In college that would have been different, plus I still would have had to have gotten drafted. I was able to work and get my development done.”
Down on the Farm: #Cougars Trey Martin grand slam, #Smokies lose on walk-off walk #Cubs #MiLB http://t.co/E6b14tnFld
— Cubbies Crib (@CubbiesCrib) May 28, 2014
At just 23 years-old Martin has played professional baseball for five years. He already has his defensive game down, but now he needs to improve his performance at the plate. As of Friday night Martin has one double, one triple, two home runs and 15 RBIs since being called up to Double-A on June 8. With the way Chicago keeps mining its own minor league system, Martin’s sudden display of hitting and power could end with a quick trip to the major leagues.
“If you do one thing good, they could use you up there,” Martin said. “Whether it be run bases, play defense or hit. As long as you do it well and consistently, maybe you can contribute to the team.”
