INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – After taking the league by storm for the first month of the season, Mason Martin has hit an extended rough patch.
Through April, Martin was hitting .303 with a 1.021 OPS. While he hit seven home runs in May, he also only hit .190 with 40 strikeouts in 25 games and 111 plate appearances.
In June, Martin had just one home run. Conversely, he struck out 39 times in 87 plate appearances. Even with the struggles, Martin knows it’s going to turn it around and remains confident.
“It’s part of the game and that’s what my coaches have been reminding me of,“ Martin said. “The worst thing you can do is let it eat you up and overthink and over analyze. I’ve definitely been there before. The key when things are not going the way you want are to keep it simple, simplify things, and try to be loose and easy in the box and in the field. You just have to stay positive and optimistic.“
Martin is working through an adjustment at the plate. He’s working to remove some extra moving parts to his swing, and being quicker to the ball. These adjustments, and getting used to them, could also attribute to his recent struggles.
“I’m working on just being short to the ball,“ Martin said. “I’m just taking out some movement, so it’s easier to get synced up, and being consistently synced up. That’s one thing I’m working toward, being consistent. These adjustments will prove that. It’s been good right now. I feel good, I’m seeing it good. I’m staying with it, just pushing through.“
Baseball is a game of struggles and adjustment. Martin has dealt with this before in his career, and will certainly deal with it again. It might also not be the worst news in the world to receive some punch back in Triple-A.
“[A slump] forces you to get better, and forces you to make adjustments and improvements,“ Martin said. “The game has always done that for me. That’s one thing I’ve done throughout my career, is make adjustments with the game. Every single year I’ve had to make some type of adjustment. Hopefully one day, I get to the point, where I’ve seen all there is to see and fully understand what it takes to be successful in the big leagues. That’s what I’m working towards.“
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