1. Overview
Richard Allen Martin (born December 22, 1994), commonly known as Richie Martin, is an American professional baseball shortstop who currently plays for the Gastonia Ghost Peppers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles. Martin's career trajectory began with his selection by the Oakland Athletics in the first round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft, following a successful collegiate career at the University of Florida where he played for the Florida Gators baseball team. This article details his early life, amateur achievements, his professional journey through various organizations, his playing style, and aspects of his personal life.
2. Early Life and Amateur Career
Richie Martin's formative years were spent in Michigan before his family relocated to Florida, where he developed his skills in baseball and pursued higher education in civil engineering. His amateur career culminated in a strong performance at the collegiate level, drawing attention from professional scouts.
2.1. Birth and Childhood
Martin was born on December 22, 1994, in Detroit, Michigan. He resided there through his childhood until his family moved to the suburbs of Tampa, Florida. This relocation occurred after his father, a school teacher, retired.
2.2. High School and College Education
Martin attended Bloomingdale High School in Valrico, Florida. During his senior year, he achieved a batting average of .438. Following high school, Martin committed to further his education and play baseball at the University of Florida, where he majored in civil engineering. He was recognized for his academic achievements, being named to the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll for all three seasons he played.
2.3. College Baseball Career
In the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, Martin was initially selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round, as the 1,151st overall pick. However, he chose not to sign with the Mariners, instead fulfilling his commitment to the University of Florida. As a freshman in 2013, he became the starting shortstop for the Florida Gators, batting .300 with 51 hits in 44 games. That summer, he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Falmouth Commodores, where he recorded a .193 batting average, 19 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases.
In 2014, his sophomore year, Martin led the Gators in at bats (249), stolen bases (18), and runs scored (49), while batting .265. After the season, he returned to the Cape Cod League, joining the Bourne Braves. With the Braves, he achieved a batting average of .364, which was the highest in the Braves' history and the second highest in the league. He also led the league with 59 hits and 36 runs scored and was selected to play in the league's All-Star Game. During his time at the University of Florida, Martin was a teammate of Harrison Bader.
In 2015, Martin was named to the preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list, an award recognizing the top amateur baseball player in the United States. He concluded the season with a .291 batting average, setting career highs with 77 hits, 63 runs scored, 36 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases. He was also a finalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, which honors the nation's best collegiate shortstop. Over his three collegiate seasons, Martin played in 176 games, accumulating a career batting average of .284, 193 hits, 136 runs scored, 81 RBIs, 45 stolen bases, 27 doubles, seven home runs, and seven triples.
3. Professional Career
Richie Martin's professional baseball journey has seen him progress through various minor league levels and debut in Major League Baseball, interspersed with challenges including significant injuries.
3.1. Oakland Athletics Organization
In the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft, the Oakland Athletics selected Martin as the 20th overall pick in the first round. Martin signed with the Athletics and began his professional career with the Vermont Lake Monsters of the New York-Penn League. In 51 games during 2015, he batted .237 with two home runs, 16 RBIs, and seven stolen bases.
The 2016 season saw Martin split his time between the Class A-Advanced Stockton Ports and the Double-A Midland RockHounds. Across both teams, he posted a combined batting average of .235, along with three home runs, 38 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases in 94 total games. In 2017, he continued to play for both Stockton Ports and Midland RockHounds, batting .234 with four home run, 33 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases across 109 total games. His performance significantly improved in 2018 when he played solely for the Midland RockHounds, slashing .300/.368/.439 with six home runs, 42 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases in 118 games.
3.2. Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles selected Martin with the first pick in the 2018 Rule 5 draft on December 13, 2018, leading to his transfer to the Orioles organization. Martin earned a spot on the Orioles' Opening Day roster and made his Major League Baseball debut against the New York Yankees on Opening Day, March 28, 2019. On March 30, 2019, he recorded his first Major League hit, a single off James Paxton, and also secured his first career stolen base. His first career home run came on May 22, 2019, off CC Sabathia, in a 7-5 loss to the Yankees.
Martin concluded his rookie season with a .208 batting average, six home runs, 29 runs scored, 23 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in 120 games played. He started 90 games at shortstop, which was the third-most by a rookie in Orioles history.
He faced significant injury setbacks in subsequent seasons. On July 15, 2020, Martin underwent wrist surgery, which sidelined him for two to three months and effectively ended his 2020 season. In late January 2021, he suffered a broken hamate bone in his left hand during a workout, requiring another surgery. On May 19, 2021, it was announced that he had sustained a non-displaced fracture in the radius bone of his left wrist, expected to keep him out for eight to twelve weeks. He was placed on the 60-day injured list on May 31. Martin was eventually activated from the injured list and rejoined the major league roster on August 2, 2021.
On November 30, 2021, the Orioles outrighted Martin off their 40-man roster, assigning him to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. He began the 2022 season with Norfolk before being promoted back to the major leagues by Baltimore on June 11. In his second game back with the Orioles on June 12, 2022, against the Kansas City Royals, Martin had a notable performance, going 3-for-5 with two triples and two RBIs. On September 1, he was designated for assignment and sent outright to Triple-A. He elected free agency on October 6, 2022.
During his time with the Orioles, Martin wore jersey number 1 from 2019 to 2022, excluding 2020 when he was inactive due to injury.
3.3. Post-Orioles Career
On January 17, 2023, Martin signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds, which included an invitation to spring training. He was assigned to the Triple-A Louisville Bats. However, he was released by the Reds on March 28, shortly after being informed that he would not make the Opening Day roster.
On April 14, 2023, Martin signed another minor league contract, this time with the Washington Nationals, and was assigned to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings. In 113 games for the Red Wings in 2023, he batted .217 with an on-base percentage of .329 and a slugging percentage of .314, adding three home run, 36 RBIs, and 29 stolen bases. He elected free agency again on November 6, 2023.
On January 8, 2024, Martin signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels. After going 1-for-10 with five strikeouts in spring training, he was released by the Angels organization on March 3. On July 5, 2024, Martin signed with the Gastonia Ghost Peppers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. In 37 games for Gastonia, he batted .244/.326/.430 with five home run, 15 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases.
3.4. MLB Statistics
Martin played three seasons in Major League Baseball (2019, 2021, 2022). Below are his career batting and fielding statistics in MLB:
| Year | Team | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | TB | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | BAL | 120 | 309 | 283 | 29 | 59 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 91 | 23 | 10 | 1 | 14 | 83 | .208 | .260 | .322 | .581 | |
| 2021 | 37 | 105 | 98 | 9 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 28 | .235 | .269 | .286 | .555 | ||
| 2022 | 13 | 33 | 30 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | .167 | .242 | .300 | .542 | ||
| MLB Career | 170 | 447 | 411 | 42 | 87 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 128 | 34 | 13 | 4 | 21 | 121 | .212 | .261 | .311 | .572 | ||
| Year | Team | Shortstop (SS) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | PO | A | E | DP | FPCT | ||
| 2019 | BAL | 117 | 108 | 224 | 10 | 46 | .971 |
| 2021 | 37 | 49 | 77 | 6 | 10 | .955 | |
| MLB Career | 154 | 157 | 301 | 16 | 56 | .966 | |
4. Playing Style
Richie Martin is primarily known for his strong defensive abilities and speed as a baseball player. These attributes are considered his main selling points, distinguishing him as a skilled shortstop and a threat on the basepaths.
5. Personal Life
Richie Martin's maternal grandfather was Walter Lewis Thomas, who was also a professional baseball player. Thomas played in the Negro leagues and was a teammate of notable players such as Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson when he was a member of the Kansas City Monarchs.