Orelvis Martinez Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

AB	44
AVG	.318
OBP	.375
SLG	.523
HR	1

Full name Orelvis Miguel Martinez
Born 11/19/2001 in Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 55/High

Track Record: Martinez signed out of the Dominican Republic for $3.51 million in 2018. He skipped the Dominican Summer League and made his pro debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2019, hitting .275/.352/.549 in 40 games as a 17-year-old. Martinez moved quickly following the pandemic-lost 2020 season, seeing both levels of Class A in 2021 and spending all of 2022 at Double-A New Hampshire. After an uneven showing as a 20-year-old at Double-A, Martinez returned to the level in 2023. After a slow start, he hit .268/.390/.557 from May 1 through the end of the first half. He was promoted to Triple-A Buffalo on July 18 and spent the winter with Licey of the Dominican League.

Scouting Report: Martinez entered 2023 trending toward a power-over-everything hitter with major questions around his bat-to-ball skills and swing decisions. Instead, he showed a more refined and patient approach without sacrificing his aggressiveness. Martinez showed a willingness to make pitchers work and in turn saw better pitches in the zone. He made the most of those opportunities as his simple, powerful swing easily backspins his best contact to his pull side. Martinez has always had strong hands and the ability to get to plus power in games. His improvements in approach and contact have allowed him to project to get to his power against more advanced pitchers. Martinez is a fringe-average runner who will turn in an average run time on occasion. He’s not rangy afield but shows the ability to play multiple infield positions. He has focused on shortstop and third base in pro ball, but his best long-term position is likely second base, where he has enough range and his plus arm would be an asset.

The Future: Martinez is a bat-first second baseman with the ability to hit 30-plus home runs at peak.

Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 45 | Field: 45 | Arm: 60
BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme

Track Record: Martinez signed with the Blue Jays out of the Dominican Republic for $3.51 million in 2018 and started his professional career hot. He ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2019 and led the Low-A Florida State League in home runs, slugging percentage and OPS in 2021 before receiving a late promotion to High-A Vancouver. Martinez impressed in big league camp in 2022 and received an aggressive assignment to Double-A New Hampshire, where the 20-year-old struggled for the first time in his career. He hit a career-high 30 home runs, but also had the sixth-lowest batting average (.203) and on-base percentage (.286) in the Eastern League.

Scouting Report: Martinez's game is driven by his tremendous bat speed and plus power. He has the ability to turn around premium velocity and feasts on fastballs, sending them out a long way to all fields with loud exit velocities. Martinez does immense damage on contact, but his hyper-aggressive approach was exposed by higher-level pitching at Double-A in 2022. He has an extreme tendency to chase and expand the strike zone, making him easy prey for pitchers who are happy to let him get himself out. Martinez makes contact on pitches in the zone with a knack for hard contact and steep launch angles, but he's a well below-average hitter who will have to vastly improve his strike-zone discipline and swing decisions to make enough contact at higher levels. Martinez is a fringy defender at both shortstop and third base. His plus arm and average athleticism give him a chance to be playable at third base.

The Future: A talented but enigmatic player, Martinez requires a lot of polish to make the jump from low minors standout to future major league regular. He'll likely repeat Double-A in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hitting: 30. Power: 60. Run: 45. Field: 45. Arm: 60
Track Record: Martinez signed for $3.51 million in 2018 and starred in his pro debut the following season, ranking as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2019. He made his full-season debut in 2021 and led the Low-A Southeast with 19 home runs, a .572 slugging percentage and a .942 OPS despite receiving a promotion to High-A Vancouver for the final month. His highlight of the season came during a memorable stretch in mid July when he hit 10 home runs in 10 games.

Scouting Report: Martinez has the strong frame, high-end bat speed and plus raw power to be an offensive force. He’s an athletic mover in the batter’s box who maximizes his whole body to generate a whippy, explosive swing. Martinez has the power to hit the ball out to all fields, but his approach is geared more to pull the ball. His strikeout rate jumped to 25% in 2021 with that pull-heavy approach and increased chase tendencies, especially early in the season against breaking stuff. Martinez became a more selective hitter as the season progressed, but those chase habits reappeared after his promotion and will limit him to an average hitter. Some Blue Jays officials believe Martinez can stick at shortstop, but few others agree. His hands are fine and he has plus arm strength, but he’s a below-average runner with heavy feet and will likely continue to lose range as he gets bigger. Third base is his most likely destination.

The Future: Martinez has the potential to be an all-star if he can make strides with his plate discipline. He’ll likely return to High-A to start 2022.
Hitting: 60. Power: 60. Run: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 60.
Track Record: Martinez signed out of the Dominican Republic for $3.51 million, the largest bonus for any 16-year-old in the 2018-19 international class, and ranked as the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League’s No. 1 prospect in his first season. After training at home in the Dominican Republic. Last summer, he joined the alternate site for a week, homered there, then hit four homers in his first two weeks of instructional league.

Scouting Report: Like several other Blue Jays prospects, Martinez does a good job incorporating his whole body into his swing. He has to keep those moving parts in sync, but generally does so to generate fast bat speed and easy plus power. He uses his hands well at the plate, driving the ball with impressive carry to all fields. Martinez makes frequent contact and has an advanced approach for his age, shrinking his lower-half movement when he gets to two strikes. He gets himself in trouble when he’s too aggressive early in the count. Martinez has a plus arm and good hands at shortstop, but he needs to improve his footwork. The Blue Jays still think he has a chance to play shortstop, but his range is already iffy there, and with how much bigger he’s likely to get, his best fit long term is probably third base.

The Future: Martinez has the upside to develop into an all-star on the left side of the infield, but he is still a teenager yet to make his full-season debut. He is likely to begin in low Class A in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: The Blue Jays signed Martinez in 2018 for $3.51 million, the largest bonus for a 16-year-old in the 2018-19 international signing period. He immediately showed why the Blue Jays were so high on him, ranking as the top prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League as a 17-year-old in his pro debut.

SCOUTING REPORT: Martinez uses his body well in his swing. There are a lot of moving parts, but he's usually able to keep his swing in sync, which enables him to generate quick bat speed and easy plus power. He taps into that power in games (his seven home runs tied for second in the GCL), taking advantage of good hitters' hands to make frequent contact. Martinez can get too jumpy early in the count, but he mostly has a calm, advanced approach for his age and condenses his leg kick when he gets to two strikes. Martinez's hands play well at the plate and in the field. He has a strong arm, but his range and footwork are stretched thin at shortstop, and given how much bigger he's likely to get, third base is where he probably lands.

THE FUTURE: With Miguel Hiraldo and Leonardo Jimenez one level ahead of Martinez, the Blue Jays have to sort out where they're going to send all their infielders in 2019. Martinez could be ready for low Class A Lansing if the Blue Jays want to push him aggressively.
Track Record: The Blue Jays have become one of the most aggressive teams in Latin America. They were in early on Martinez and signed him out of the Dominican Republic for $3.5 million

Scouting Report: With a calm, relaxed swing, Martinez produces loft and easy power, driving the ball well from right-center over to his pull side. He has good bat speed and leverage in his swing with considerable strength projection, so he should be able to develop plus power. Martinez didn't dominate games as an amateur, but he generally performed well, both in terms of hitting ability and power. He starts his swing with his bat wrapped behind his head, creating more length for his barrel to travel. Some scouts have concerns about the adjustability of his swing, although he has quick hands and generally does a good job of keeping them inside the ball. The Blue Jays will keep Martinez at shortstop for now, though most scouts project him as a third baseman given his range and how it will likely decrease as he gets heavier. He's a below-average runner with soft hands and a strong arm, giving him the attributes to fit well at third base.

The Future: Martinez will likely begin his career in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2019.

Minor League Top Prospects

Martinez was part of a pack of talented shortstop prospects—along with Marco Luciano, Ezequiel Tovar and Noelvi Marte—who took over the league late in the season. Martinez, who earned his way to High-A by bashing 19 home runs in Low-A, is one of the Blue Jays’ most prodigious power hitters. That thump showed up after the promotion, but not without some growing pains. Martinez worked hard all season to control at-bats and work counts until he got pitches he could drive, but adjusting to a new league and more advanced pitchers takes time, and he never got fully on track at High-A. The Blue Jays anticipate Martinez will add more strength as he gets older, which will amplify his power but lessen his chances of sticking at shortstop. If he does have to move to third base, his bat will be more than enough to profile.
Martinez entered the year as one of the best prospects in Toronto’s system and spent the early part of the season in Low-A showing exactly why. He was particularly potent in July, when he hit .313/.420/.798 with 13 home runs in 26 games. He was promoted to High-A in early August. The 19-year-old generates his power thanks to a strong frame and electric bat speed. Both of those elements combined to produce average and maximum exit velocities of 88.5 and 110.8 mph, respectively. His 28 total home runs were the most by any teenager in the minor leagues this season. Martinez has improved his first-step quickness, moves well and has a strong throwing arm, but he’s still likely to move to third base if he continues to get bigger as he matures.
The Blue Jays signed Martinez out of the Dominican Republic last year on July 2 for $3.51 million, the biggest bonus for a 16-year-old in the 2018-19 class. Martinez skipped the Dominican Summer League and showed why the Blue Jays were so high on him, making the Gulf Coast League all-star team while showing a promising balance of hitting ability and power. Martinez has excellent hands and uses them well at the plate to generate quick bat speed and easy, above-average power. He has some moving parts in his swing, but he has good enough hand-eye coordination to make frequent contact, with a swing geared for loft that allows his power to show up in games. His seven home runs tied for second in the league. He has a calm approach, manages his at-bats well and controls the strike zone. Martinez’s hands play well in the field, too, and are his best defensive attribute. He has enough arm strength for shortstop, though his range isn’t ideal for the position and his body type suggests he’s going to add significant weight and strength over the next few years. He spent some time this season at third base, which is his most likely defensive home.

Top 100 Rankings

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme

Track Record: Martinez signed with the Blue Jays out of the Dominican Republic for $3.51 million in 2018 and started his professional career hot. He ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2019 and led the Low-A Florida State League in home runs, slugging percentage and OPS in 2021 before receiving a late promotion to High-A Vancouver. Martinez impressed in big league camp in 2022 and received an aggressive assignment to Double-A New Hampshire, where the 20-year-old struggled for the first time in his career. He hit a career-high 30 home runs, but also had the sixth-lowest batting average (.203) and on-base percentage (.286) in the Eastern League.

Scouting Report: Martinez's game is driven by his tremendous bat speed and plus power. He has the ability to turn around premium velocity and feasts on fastballs, sending them out a long way to all fields with loud exit velocities. Martinez does immense damage on contact, but his hyper-aggressive approach was exposed by higher-level pitching at Double-A in 2022. He has an extreme tendency to chase and expand the strike zone, making him easy prey for pitchers who are happy to let him get himself out. Martinez makes contact on pitches in the zone with a knack for hard contact and steep launch angles, but he's a well below-average hitter who will have to vastly improve his strike-zone discipline and swing decisions to make enough contact at higher levels. Martinez is a fringy defender at both shortstop and third base. His plus arm and average athleticism give him a chance to be playable at third base.

The Future: A talented but enigmatic player, Martinez requires a lot of polish to make the jump from low minors standout to future major league regular. He'll likely repeat Double-A in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hitting: 30. Power: 60. Run: 45. Field: 45. Arm: 60
BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme

Track Record: Martinez signed with the Blue Jays out of the Dominican Republic for $3.51 million in 2018 and started his professional career hot. He ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2019 and led the Low-A Florida State League in home runs, slugging percentage and OPS in 2021 before receiving a late promotion to High-A Vancouver. Martinez impressed in big league camp in 2022 and received an aggressive assignment to Double-A New Hampshire, where the 20-year-old struggled for the first time in his career. He hit a career-high 30 home runs, but also had the sixth-lowest batting average (.203) and on-base percentage (.286) in the Eastern League.

Scouting Report: Martinez's game is driven by his tremendous bat speed and plus power. He has the ability to turn around premium velocity and feasts on fastballs, sending them out a long way to all fields with loud exit velocities. Martinez does immense damage on contact, but his hyper-aggressive approach was exposed by higher-level pitching at Double-A in 2022. He has an extreme tendency to chase and expand the strike zone, making him easy prey for pitchers who are happy to let him get himself out. Martinez makes contact on pitches in the zone with a knack for hard contact and steep launch angles, but he's a well below-average hitter who will have to vastly improve his strike-zone discipline and swing decisions to make enough contact at higher levels. Martinez is a fringy defender at both shortstop and third base. His plus arm and average athleticism give him a chance to be playable at third base.

The Future: A talented but enigmatic player, Martinez requires a lot of polish to make the jump from low minors standout to future major league regular. He'll likely repeat Double-A in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hitting: 30. Power: 60. Run: 45. Field: 45. Arm: 60
BA Grade: 55/High

Track Record: After signing for $3.51 million in 2018, Martinez made his pro debut the next year and ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2019. He made his full-season debut in 2021, which included a hot streak in July where he hit 10 home runs in 10 games. His 19 home runs, .572 slugging average and .942 OPS all led Low-A Southeast despite a promotion to High-A Vancouver for the final month of the season.

Scouting Report: Martinez has a strong frame, high-end bat speed and plus raw power. He&#39&#39s an athletic mover in the box, maximizing his whole body to generate a whippy, explosive swing with the power to be a 30-plus home run hitter. Martinez has the power to hit the ball out to all fields, but his approach is geared more to pull the ball in the air. Martinez&#39&#39s strikeout rate jumped to 25% in 2021 with that pull-heavy approach and chase tendencies, especially early in the season against breaking stuff. As his season progressed, Martinez became a more selective hitter, though those chase habits crept back in upon his late-season promotion to High-A Vancouver. The Blue Jays internally have believers that Martinez could stick at shortstop, though it&#39&#39s hard to find like-minded evaluators with other clubs. His hands are fine for the infield and his plus arm fits on the left side of the infield, but he&#39&#39s a below-average runner with heavy feet and will likely continue to lose range as he gets bigger, with third base his most likely fit.

The Future: If Martinez can continue to make strides with his plate discipline, he has the upside to be an all-star. He should get another crack at High-A Vancouver to start 2022.

Scouting Grades:
Hit: 50. Power: 60. Speed: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60.
Track Record: Martinez signed for $3.51 million in 2018 and starred in his pro debut the following season, ranking as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2019. He made his full-season debut in 2021 and led the Low-A Southeast with 19 home runs, a .572 slugging percentage and a .942 OPS despite receiving a promotion to High-A Vancouver for the final month. His highlight of the season came during a memorable stretch in mid July when he hit 10 home runs in 10 games.

Scouting Report: Martinez has the strong frame, high-end bat speed and plus raw power to be an offensive force. He’s an athletic mover in the batter’s box who maximizes his whole body to generate a whippy, explosive swing. Martinez has the power to hit the ball out to all fields, but his approach is geared more to pull the ball. His strikeout rate jumped to 25% in 2021 with that pull-heavy approach and increased chase tendencies, especially early in the season against breaking stuff. Martinez became a more selective hitter as the season progressed, but those chase habits reappeared after his promotion and will limit him to an average hitter. Some Blue Jays officials believe Martinez can stick at shortstop, but few others agree. His hands are fine and he has plus arm strength, but he’s a below-average runner with heavy feet and will likely continue to lose range as he gets bigger. Third base is his most likely destination.

The Future: Martinez has the potential to be an all-star if he can make strides with his plate discipline. He’ll likely return to High-A to start 2022.
Martinez entered the year as one of the best prospects in Toronto’s system and spent the early part of the season in Low-A showing exactly why. He was particularly potent in July, when he hit .313/.420/.798 with 13 home runs in 26 games. He was promoted to High-A in early August. The 19-year-old generates his power thanks to a strong frame and electric bat speed. Both of those elements combined to produce average and maximum exit velocities of 88.5 and 110.8 mph, respectively. His 28 total home runs were the most by any teenager in the minor leagues this season. Martinez has improved his first-step quickness, moves well and has a strong throwing arm, but he’s still likely to move to third base if he continues to get bigger as he matures.
Martinez was part of a pack of talented shortstop prospects—along with Marco Luciano, Ezequiel Tovar and Noelvi Marte—who took over the league late in the season. Martinez, who earned his way to High-A by bashing 19 home runs in Low-A, is one of the Blue Jays’ most prodigious power hitters. That thump showed up after the promotion, but not without some growing pains. Martinez worked hard all season to control at-bats and work counts until he got pitches he could drive, but adjusting to a new league and more advanced pitchers takes time, and he never got fully on track at High-A. The Blue Jays anticipate Martinez will add more strength as he gets older, which will amplify his power but lessen his chances of sticking at shortstop. If he does have to move to third base, his bat will be more than enough to profile.
Hitting: 60. Power: 60. Run: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 60.
Track Record: Martinez signed out of the Dominican Republic for $3.51 million, the largest bonus for any 16-year-old in the 2018-19 international class, and ranked as the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League's No. 1 prospect in his first season. After training at home in the Dominican Republic. Last summer, he joined the alternate site for a week, homered there, then hit four homers in his first two weeks of instructional league.

Scouting Report: Like several other Blue Jays prospects, Martinez does a good job incorporating his whole body into his swing. He has to keep those moving parts in sync, but generally does so to generate fast bat speed and easy plus power. He uses his hands well at the plate, driving the ball with impressive carry to all fields. Martinez makes frequent contact and has an advanced approach for his age, shrinking his lower-half movement when he gets to two strikes. He gets himself in trouble when he's too aggressive early in the count. Martinez has a plus arm and good hands at shortstop, but he needs to improve his footwork. The Blue Jays still think he has a chance to play shortstop, but his range is already iffy there, and with how much bigger he's likely to get, his best fit long term is probably third base.

The Future: Martinez has the upside to develop into an all-star on the left side of the infield, but he is still a teenager yet to make his full-season debut. He is likely to begin in low Class A in 2021.
Hitting: 60. Power: 60. Run: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 60.
Track Record: Martinez signed out of the Dominican Republic for $3.51 million, the largest bonus for any 16-year-old in the 2018-19 international class, and ranked as the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League’s No. 1 prospect in his first season. After training at home in the Dominican Republic. Last summer, he joined the alternate site for a week, homered there, then hit four homers in his first two weeks of instructional league.

Scouting Report: Like several other Blue Jays prospects, Martinez does a good job incorporating his whole body into his swing. He has to keep those moving parts in sync, but generally does so to generate fast bat speed and easy plus power. He uses his hands well at the plate, driving the ball with impressive carry to all fields. Martinez makes frequent contact and has an advanced approach for his age, shrinking his lower-half movement when he gets to two strikes. He gets himself in trouble when he’s too aggressive early in the count. Martinez has a plus arm and good hands at shortstop, but he needs to improve his footwork. The Blue Jays still think he has a chance to play shortstop, but his range is already iffy there, and with how much bigger he’s likely to get, his best fit long term is probably third base.

The Future: Martinez has the upside to develop into an all-star on the left side of the infield, but he is still a teenager yet to make his full-season debut. He is likely to begin in low Class A in 2021.
Hitting: 60. Power: 60. Run: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 60.
Track Record: Martinez signed out of the Dominican Republic for $3.51 million, the largest bonus for any 16-year-old in the 2018-19 international class, and ranked as the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League’s No. 1 prospect in his first season. After training at home in the Dominican Republic. Last summer, he joined the alternate site for a week, homered there, then hit four homers in his first two weeks of instructional league.

Scouting Report: Like several other Blue Jays prospects, Martinez does a good job incorporating his whole body into his swing. He has to keep those moving parts in sync, but generally does so to generate fast bat speed and easy plus power. He uses his hands well at the plate, driving the ball with impressive carry to all fields. Martinez makes frequent contact and has an advanced approach for his age, shrinking his lower-half movement when he gets to two strikes. He gets himself in trouble when he’s too aggressive early in the count. Martinez has a plus arm and good hands at shortstop, but he needs to improve his footwork. The Blue Jays still think he has a chance to play shortstop, but his range is already iffy there, and with how much bigger he’s likely to get, his best fit long term is probably third base.

The Future: Martinez has the upside to develop into an all-star on the left side of the infield, but he is still a teenager yet to make his full-season debut. He is likely to begin in low Class A in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: The Blue Jays signed Martinez in 2018 for $3.51 million, the largest bonus for a 16-year-old in the 2018-19 international signing period. He immediately showed why the Blue Jays were so high on him, ranking as the top prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League as a 17-year-old in his pro debut.

SCOUTING REPORT: Martinez uses his body well in his swing. There are a lot of moving parts, but he’s usually able to keep his swing in sync, which enables him to generate quick bat speed and easy plus power. He taps into that power in games (his seven home runs tied for second in the GCL), taking advantage of good hitters’ hands to make frequent contact. Martinez can get too jumpy early in the count, but he mostly has a calm, advanced approach for his age and condenses his leg kick when he gets to two strikes. Martinez’s hands play well at the plate and in the field. He has a strong arm, but his range and footwork are stretched thin at shortstop, and given how much bigger he’s likely to get, third base is where he probably lands.

THE FUTURE: With Miguel Hiraldo and Leonardo Jimenez one level ahead of Martinez, the Blue Jays have to sort out where they’re going to send all their infielders in 2019. Martinez could be ready for low Class A Lansing if the Blue Jays want to push him aggressively.
TRACK RECORD: The Blue Jays signed Martinez in 2018 for $3.51 million, the largest bonus for a 16-year-old in the 2018-19 international signing period. He immediately showed why the Blue Jays were so high on him, ranking as the top prospect in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League as a 17-year-old in his pro debut.

SCOUTING REPORT: Martinez uses his body well in his swing. There are a lot of moving parts, but he's usually able to keep his swing in sync, which enables him to generate quick bat speed and easy plus power. He taps into that power in games (his seven home runs tied for second in the GCL), taking advantage of good hitters' hands to make frequent contact. Martinez can get too jumpy early in the count, but he mostly has a calm, advanced approach for his age and condenses his leg kick when he gets to two strikes. Martinez's hands play well at the plate and in the field. He has a strong arm, but his range and footwork are stretched thin at shortstop, and given how much bigger he's likely to get, third base is where he probably lands.

THE FUTURE: With Miguel Hiraldo and Leonardo Jimenez one level ahead of Martinez, the Blue Jays have to sort out where they're going to send all their infielders in 2019. Martinez could be ready for low Class A Lansing if the Blue Jays want to push him aggressively.
The Blue Jays signed Martinez out of the Dominican Republic last year on July 2 for $3.51 million, the biggest bonus for a 16-year-old in the 2018-19 class. Martinez skipped the Dominican Summer League and showed why the Blue Jays were so high on him, making the Gulf Coast League all-star team while showing a promising balance of hitting ability and power. Martinez has excellent hands and uses them well at the plate to generate quick bat speed and easy, above-average power. He has some moving parts in his swing, but he has good enough hand-eye coordination to make frequent contact, with a swing geared for loft that allows his power to show up in games. His seven home runs tied for second in the league. He has a calm approach, manages his at-bats well and controls the strike zone. Martinez’s hands play well in the field, too, and are his best defensive attribute. He has enough arm strength for shortstop, though his range isn’t ideal for the position and his body type suggests he’s going to add significant weight and strength over the next few years. He spent some time this season at third base, which is his most likely defensive home.