Aroldis Chapman, a long time rival to the Blue Jays with the Yankees and now Red Sox, has always been known for his incredible fastball. While Chapman is 37, he just set a Red Sox record with a 103.8 mile per hour fastball.
While Chapman’s with the Red Sox, the Blue Jays now have a prospect with a fastball that’s reminiscent of Chapman’s electric heater in Colby Martin. Martin, 24, is currently playing at Single-A Dunedin and has a remarkable story.
The Blue Jays took the flame throwing right-hander in the 16th round of last year’s MLB Draft out of the NAIA’s Southeastern University, which was the final stop in what was a wild journey.
Martin started his college career in 2020 at Messiah College, where he worked an second baseman and shortstop.
He then went to Shenendoah University, where he was a All-American second baseman in 2021 and also worked a bit as a reliever.
His pitching wasn’t anything to write home about, however, as he threw 1 2/3 innings in 2023 while hitting .390 as a position player.
While those stats weren’t impressive, they put him on scout’s radar, which helped him earn tryouts with the Phillies, Red Sox and Padres.
He nearly signed a contract with the Padres as an undrafted free agent in 2023, but they team rescinded the contract after they saw his MRI results
“I’m not an emotional guy,” Martin told Eli Fishman. “But as soon as I walked out of the complex I called my Mom and I was just crying… I was defeated.”
He then when Southeastern, where he had a 4.41 ERA in 16 1/3 innings in 2024.
That proved to be a smart decision, as it resulted in him being drafted by the Blue Jays. While he’s only in Single-A, he’s looking like a legitimate prospect for the Blue Jays.
Colby Martin’s electric fastball might be the best in the Blue Jays’ system
Martin debuted in Dunedin last season and struggled with his control. He finished the year with a 7.27 ERA in 8 2/3 innings, and had a BB/9 of 14.54. That was to be expected since he struggled with control in college and is still new to pitching.
Fortunately for him, things have started to look better this year. He has yet to allow an earned run through 9 1/3 innings, and he’s only allowed four walks (BB/9 of 3.86). That’s a great step in the right direction. He’s also recorded 12 strikeouts (K/9 of 11.57).
Although Martin still isn’t close to his big league debut, his emergence as a solid reliever is a huge boon to a the farm system that’s struggled to develop quality pitching.
Toronto had a lot of prospects step up in April, and Martin seems to be following in those footsteps.
There may never be another pitcher like Chapman, but flamethrowers like him are always fun to watch. If Martin can continue to pound the strike zone and work his way up through the organization, he could have a very bright future.
The tools seem to be there, so it’ll just be a matter of him putting it all together.
