ALTOONA, PA (93.7 The Fan) – It was June 11 that the Pirates best first base and power prospect was hitting .224 with just 5 home runs and 7 doubles. Since then, Mason Martin returned to showing that potential in his first season at AA.
The 6', 220 pound left-hand hitter burst on the scene in the last full minor-league season in 2019, but you may not have noticed. Most Pirates fans focused on watching first baseman Josh Bell hit 37 home runs and drove in 116 over 143 games. Meanwhile, the 508th overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft hit 35 home runs and drove in 129 runs combined with both Class A teams.
"Making sure I just retooled my body and got to the point where I was athletic and athletic in the box," Martin said of the changes he made after a 14 home run season the year previous. "I think that helped a ton. At the end of the day, the best athlete is going to win."
To make those improvements, Martin hit the gym in the family garage in Washington State with his father and teenage brother. He started yoga and improved his nutrition learning from a master, who also is his father. Martin's dad is a natural bodybuilding champion and Mason said the workouts were intense.
"We definitely compete in there, but we make each other better," Martin said. "That's the thing about it. We worked out every single day. We would lift; grab bats and gloves and head down to Horsehead Middle School. Get ground balls and get BP and call it a day."
He continued and intensified the routine during the off COVID-19 year and said his brother, Max, put on 25 pounds of muscle in 2020 and Mason is now close to lifting at his dad's level.
"It's about building off that now," Martin said. "How can I get better? How can I find ways to be quicker at the plate? How can I find ways to wait on that pitch longer so that I can improve my overall game?"
It was a struggle early this season, but now Martin leads the Northeast AA League in home runs with 15 and RBI with 45 and sixth in OPS at .944. The 22-year-old hit 10 homers since June 11 with 7 doubles, 26 RBI and his slugging percentage is up to .578.
How has he done it? Partially listening by listening to advice from his old pastor.
"How do you eat an elephant?" Martin said he told him. "One bite at a time."
"You can't eat an elephant all at once. That's a lot to eat. You have to eat it one bite at a time, take it one-step at a time. Stay in the moment, but enjoy the moment."
Martin says he heeds those words as he continue to work on his game, sometimes learning from 11-year Pirates first baseman Kevin Young among other instructors.
He doesn't put a timetable on when he would like to reach the majors, but thinks about his future. Knowing there is work to do to reach his goal.
"At the end of the day, I want to be a complete player," Martin said. "I don't want to be that guy who is a one-trick pony as they say. I want to be an all-around player."
"It's about helping your team win. That's the main goal. I want to get to Pittsburgh and help the team win. When I get on the field I want to the team to have a better chance to win."
