SS Orelvis Martinez: Signed in 2018 for $3.5 M:
Orelvis Martinez may be my favourite prospect in the Jays’ farm system. He was signed by the club back in 2018 out of the Dominican Republic and was given the second highest bonus of any player that year at 3.5 million dollars.
Martinez can flat out hit. In 2019, as a 17 year old, he slashed .275, .352, .549 with 8 doubles and 7 homeruns in only 40 games in Rookie Ball. Being able to put up these kinds of numbers at that young of an age shows how advanced a hitter he is.
Martinez is listed as a shortstop but may outgrow the position, as he is already 6’1” 188lbs. With his size and plus arm, Martinez may end up at third base within the next couple of seasons but he has the tools to become a really good defender there.
Obviously Martinez is still a long way from the big leagues, as he just turned 19 years old and will probably start in A ball this season, but if he can continue to develop and improve his game, I think that there is a really chance that Martinez could not only become one of the higher rated players in the Jays farm system but one of the higher rate prospects in all of baseball.
There are no guarantees in baseball, but Orelvis Martinez has the tools to become a special player. He’s a name that I would definitely watch out for in the next couple of seasons and someone that I think will crack MLB Pipelines top 100 prospects soon.
Projected 2021: Start in High A Vancouver; End In AA New Hampshire
Projected MLB Arrival: Late 2022-Early 2023
Projected Debut On Pipeline’s Top 100: Offseason 2021