The Minnesota Twins won 87 games last season to take the American League Central and will return in 2024 with an exciting new crop of prospects. Rocco Baldelli’s team has a blend of seasoned veterans and talented young stars which makes them a real threat in the AL.
Twins’ infielder Austin Martin will be one name to keep an eye on next season. The organization has high hopes for the highly-touted right-handed hitter from DeLand, Florida, and expect him to have a major impact in the coming months. Martin was the fifth overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft and has steadily worked his way up the ladder.
In an exclusive interview with Overtime Heroics, Martin spoke with Senior Editor Reggie Roberts about his experience at spring training and what it is like working alongside some of the senior members of the organization.
“We have a ton of great players walking around the locker room, said Martin. “Guys like Justin Morneau and others. It’s a pretty sick experience and any chance I get to be around to pick those guys’ brains about this game, I take advantage of it.”
When it comes to learning from the best, few players can match the production and accolades Morneau achieved over his 14-year MLB career. The former Twins first baseman was named the American League MVP in 2006 and was selected to the All-Star Game on four occasions. He led the National League in 2014 with .319 batting average to beat out Josh Harrison, Andrew McCutchen and Buster Posey to the batting title. The powerful lefty finished his career with an incredible 247 home runs and a lifetime .281 batting average.
“Morneau’s a guy that’s been around. It’s been cool just to be around him to have casual conversations with him about hitting,” added Martin.
Justin Morneau is the 34th member of the @Twins Hall of Fame! 👏 pic.twitter.com/hlVD1V5mZw
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 26, 2021
Along with Morneau there are several other veterans in the Twins’ clubhouse Martin can consult to improve his game. Working alongside All-Star such as Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton and Pablo Lopez definitely has its advantages for a young developing player.
Martin was considered one of the top prospects in baseball coming out of Vanderbilt University. Although he is yet to feature in the majors, the 24-year-old has played in 59 games at the Triple-A level. Last season with the St. Paul Saints, he slashed .263/.387/.405 and recorded six home runs and 28 RBIs, 16 stolen bases over 205 at-bats.
Injuries have limited Martin’s time on the field but he looks ready to go for 2024. He has had a strong start to spring training and will be a key component of the roster in the coming months.
