In return from injured list, Davis Martin looked like the starting pitcher the White Sox need
HOUSTON – The biggest potential advantage for the Cleveland Guardians as they try to close a three-game gap in the American League Central standings is starting pitching.
While the White Sox’ top pitching prospects have been getting a lesson in how development isn’t linear, the biggest potential source of stability for the Sox rotation down the stretch is Davis Martin.
In spinning 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a 2-0 loss to the Astros on Wednesday, walking just one, striking out three and even hitting 96 mph, Martin showed more than just potential.
“One of his best outings of the year,” said catcher Drew Romo. “I was really impressed.”
The best argument for Martin’s ability to become a rotation anchor in the season’s final month is that he’s done it before–this season.
Even the yeoman back-end starter version of Martin from years past would be a boost for the Sox. But as he carried a 2.00 ERA and 27% strikeout rate through Memorial Day this year, Martin looked bound for an All-Star appearance and capable of starting a playoff game.
“He was really suppressing damage,” said Sox senior advisor to pitching Brian Bannister. “It’s his ability to diversify his pitches to hit different parts of the zone with different shapes.”
At his best, the 29-year-old right-hander’s command of a six-pitch mix lends him an improvisational style. In an age of hyper-intentional gameplanning, Martin is the rare starter who is really reading swings and pitching with guile to lift his results above his pure stuff.
Even as his performance wavered, and he entered Wednesday night with a 7.06 ERA since June 1, the White Sox expressed confidence they have the video and biomechanical information to return Martin to his baselines.
“With him and with all the guys, we know what good looks like,” said pitching coach Zach Bove.
Almost every pitcher has some weaknesses baked into their strengths, and Martin is no different. The arm action that gives him great feel for spinning breaking balls and even enables his wonky kick-changeup, also asks a lot from his body over the long haul.
“He kind of drops his arm down and it’s a very arm-heavy delivery, so there’s definitely an element of fatigue,” Bannister told the Sun-Times. “You see that in just the velocities.”
Per FanGraphs, Martin averaged 94.2 mph on his four-seam fastball through May, and 93.6 mph since. That’s a real dip, but also small enough for Martin and the Sox to focus more on command. When he slouches in his posture on the mound, his arm will dip alongside it and suddenly his six-pitch mix shrinks to trying to groove fastballs to get back in the count. When he began over-correcting to the point of leaning backwards, it was no good either.
But after using his three-week absence both to recover from a blister on his middle finger, but also for rest and a mechanical reset, Martin followed up a sharp Triple-A rehab outing, by wielding a fastball on Wednesday that had both the steam and precision at the top of the strike zone to set up his entire arsenal.
“I was coming through it really clean, compared to what I had been doing the past few weeks,” Martin said postgame. “That cutte-ry [fastball] that really hasn’t been above barrels, kind of eliminates the upper half of the strike zone for me. To be able to have that upper part of the strike zone available is one more thing [hitters] have to worry about.”
It’s just one outing, but for a White Sox rotation that’s been getting strung together on a week-to-week basis, a restored Martin could mean a lot. It could mean a division title.
“It’s really encouraging,” said Will Venable. “Feel confident that he’s in a good spot moving forward and obviously that means a lot for us.”