The Minnesota Twins have a few prospects who could make their MLB debut in 2023, and one of those players is Austin Martin.

Martin was traded to Minnesota as a part of the Simeon Woods Richardson and José Berríos trade in 2021.

At the time, both Martin and Woods Richardson were viewed as two top-100-level prospects. Martin was ranked No. 22, and SWR was No. 87 in MLB’s Top 100 prospect rankings list. Fast forward to 2023, and neither of them are on that list.

That’s not to say the trade was a failure; in fact, Berrios’ production drastically fell once he landed in Toronto. SWR has the potential to be a mid-rotation starter and has looked good in the minors. 

Martin has looked underwhelming and was supposed to be the headliner (for the Twins) in that deal.

Martin was the No. 5 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft and has shown flashes of being an everyday guy in the big leagues.

• 2021 – Double-A: New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR): 56 G, .281/.424/.383, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 53 SO, 37 BB, 9 SB
•  Wichita Wind Surge: 37 G, .254/.399/.381, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 30 SO, 23 BB, 5 SB
•  2022:Wichita: 90 G, .241/.367/.315, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 54 SO, 47 BB, 34 SB

The power will likely never come, and that’s fine because he does other things well. If he can hit for contact and get on base at a high rate, then he’ll be valuable for the Twins. Martin is great at drawing walks and rarely strikes out. Last season he had a strikeout-to-walk rate of 54/47, which is why his on-base percentage was .399.

His batting average dipped because he was getting in his head, and the Twins’ coaches were trying to implement a new swing to increase power. The Twins are going away from that, and we could potentially see him batting in the .280-300 range.

After a disappointing season, Martin’s stock was low, but he played exceptionally well in the Arizona Fall League. In 21 games, the 23-year-old slashed .374/.454/.482, with 11 runs batted in and 10 stolen bases.

My ability to bounce back in the Fall League was huge for me in terms of confidence.

Aaron Gleeman | The Athletic

If you’re an optimist, you’re going to point to this. There’s no world where he hits .374 in the big leagues, but this is a good sign that he’s feeling healthy and confident in his swing.

If Martin can stay true to what made him a first-round talent, then he’ll have a massive impact at the major league level. His floor is Nick Gordon, but his ceiling is a multi-time All-Star. 

If he can find a role defensively, Martin will have a successful career. Luckily, he’s played every position except catcher in college and the minors. The Twins will value that kind of versatility and potentially get him on the field in 2023.

If he starts the season in Triple-A and is getting on base at a near .400 clip and hitting close to .300, Martin will be up in the big leagues in no time – most likely in 2023.

Minnesota desperately needs a player who can be a threat on the base paths. Last season, the Twins ranked dead last in stolen bases at 38. The next closest team was the Colorado Rockies, with 45. Martin alone stole 34 bases last season.

Expect Martin to make his debut with the Twins this season if he puts together a strong start in the minors. Despite falling out of the top-100 prospect rankings, the former first-round pick has all of the potential in the world to be a successful major league player.