| Richie Martin | |
|---|---|
 Martin with the Baltimore Orioles | |
| Free agent | |
| Shortstop | |
| Born: (1994-12-22)December 22, 1994 (age 30) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| March 28, 2019, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| MLB statistics (through 2022 season) | |
| Batting average | .212 |
| Home runs | 7 |
| Runs batted in | 34 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Richard Allen Martin (born December 22, 1994) is an American professionalbaseballshortstop who is a free agent. He has previously played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theBaltimore Orioles. He attended theUniversity of Florida and playedcollege baseball for theFlorida Gators before theOakland Athletics selected him in the first round of the2015 MLB draft.
Martin was born inDetroit, Michigan and lived there until his family relocated to the suburbs ofTampa, Florida after his father, a school teacher, retired.[1] Martin attendedBloomingdale High School inValrico, Florida.[2] As a senior, he hit .438.[3] Martin committed to enroll at theUniversity of Florida to playcollege baseball for theFlorida Gators baseball team.[4]
In the2012 Major League Baseball draft, theSeattle Mariners selected Martin in the 38th round, with the 1,151st overall selection of the draft. He opted not to sign with Seattle, fulfilling his commitment to Florida, where he majored in civil engineering. As a freshman in 2013, he became the Gators' starting shortstop and batted .300 with 51 hits in 44 games.[5] In the summer, Martin played in theCape Cod League as a member of theFalmouth Commodores and batted .193 with 19 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.[6][7]
Martin led the Gators in at bats (249), stolen bases (18) and runs scored (49) while batting .265 as a sophomore in 2014. Following the end of the season, Martin returned to the Cape Cod League and played for theBourne Braves, where he hit .364, the highest average in Braves history and second in the league, while leading the league with 59 hits and 36 runs scored and was selected to play in the league's All-Star Game.[8][9] In 2015, Martin was named to the preseasonGolden Spikes Award watch list.[10] He finished the season with a .291 batting average and set career highs with 77hits, 63runs scored, 36runs batted in (RBIs), and 20stolen bases. He was a finalist for theBrooks Wallace Award. In three collegiate seasons, Martin recorded a career batting average of .284 with 193 hits, 136 runs scored, 81 RBIs, 45 stolen bases, 27 doubles, seven home runs and seven triples in 176 games played. He studied civil engineering while at Florida and was namedSoutheastern Conference Academic Honor Roll all three seasons.[11]
In the2015 Major League Baseball Draft, theOakland Athletics selected Martin in the first round, with the 20th overall selection. Martin signed with the Athletics.[12] Martin spent 2015 playing for theVermont Lake Monsters of theNew York-Penn League.[13] He finished 2015 batting .237 with two home runs and 16 RBIs in 51 games. Martin spent the 2016 season with both theStockton Ports and theMidland RockHounds, posting a combined a .235 batting average with three home runs, 38 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 91 total games between the two teams. In 2017, he played for both Midland and theStockton Ports, batting .234 with four home runs and 33 RBIs in 109 total games, and in 2018, he played with Midland, slashing .300/.368/.439 with six home runs, 42 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases in 118 games.[14]
TheBaltimore Orioles selected Martin with the first selection in the 2018Rule 5 draft.[15] Martin made the Orioles'Opening Day roster and made his major league debut on Opening Day against theNew York Yankees.[16] Martin recorded his first Major League hit, a single offJames Paxton, and his first career stolen base on March 30, 2019.[17] He hit his first career home run on May 22, 2019, offCC Sabathia in a 7-5 loss to the Yankees.[18] Martin finished his rookie season with a .208 batting average with six home runs, 29 runs, 23 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 120 games played, including 90 starts at shortstop (3rd most by a rookie in Orioles history).[19]
Martin underwent wrist surgery on July 15, 2020, putting him out for two to three months and ending his 2020 season.[20] In late January 2021, Martin suffered a broken hamate bone in his left hand while working out and required surgery.[21] On May 19, 2021, it was announced that Martin suffered a non-displaced fracture in the radius bone of his left wrist, putting him out for eight to twelve weeks.[22] He was placed on the 60-day injured list on May 31.[23] On August 2, Martin was activated from the injured list and added to the major league roster.[24] On November 30, the Orioles outrighted Martin off of the 40-man roster and assigned him to theNorfolk Tides.[25]
Martin began the 2022 season with Norfolk, and Baltimore promoted Martin to the major leagues on June 11.[26] In his second game with Baltimore on June 12 against theKansas City Royals, Martin went 3-for-5 with two triples and two RBI.[27] He was designated for assignment on September 1 and sent outright to Triple-A. He elected free agency on October 6, 2022.
On January 17, 2023, Martin signed a minor league deal with theCincinnati Reds that included an invitation to spring training.[28] He was released on March 28, shortly after being informed that he would not make the Opening Day roster.[29]
On April 14, 2023, Martin signed a minor league contract with theWashington Nationals and was assigned to the Triple-ARochester Red Wings.[30] In 113 games for the Triple–ARochester Red Wings, he batted .217/.329/.314 with 3 home runs, 36 RBI, and 29 stolen bases. Martin elected free agency following the season on November 6.[31]
On January 8, 2024, Martin signed a minor league contract with theLos Angeles Angels.[32] After going 1–for–10 with five strikeouts in spring training, Martin was released by the Angels organization on March 3.[33]
On July 5, 2024, Martin signed with theGastonia Ghost Peppers of theAtlantic League of Professional Baseball.[34] In 37 games for Gastonia, he batted .244/.326/.430 with five home runs, 15 RBI, and 22 stolen bases. He became a free agent following the season.
Martin's maternal grandfather,Walter Lewis Thomas, played professional baseball in theNegro leagues and was a teammate ofSatchel Paige andJackie Robinson as a member of theKansas City Monarchs.[35]