NEW YORK — A 22nd-round pick most fans had never heard of just forced his way onto the Yankees’ radar. While the big-league club was dropping a series to the Reds, its farm system delivered the kind of story that tends to reshape a depth chart in a hurry.
The Yankees promoted outfielder Garrett Martin from Double-A Somerset to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the team announced June 20. The 25-year-old arrived as the most prolific power hitter in the organization’s minor league system this season.
Martin earned the move by leading all Yankees farmhands with 22 home runs and 55 RBIs. He did it faster than anyone in Somerset history, reaching 21 homers in 63 games, and he wasted no time at the new level and hit a home run in his first Triple-A game. He is slashing .270/.569/.910.
For a franchise weighing its options before the trade deadline and dealing with an outfield thinned by Aaron Judge’s injury absence, a surging power bat in the upper minors is exactly the kind of development that matters. The question now is how high Martin can climb.
A late-round pick who kept producing
Martin was a 22nd-round selection in the 2018 MLB Draft, the sort of pick that rarely reaches the upper minors. He is in his fourth season in the Yankees organization and has steadily turned himself into a legitimate prospect.
This year at Double-A, Martin hit .270 with 70 hits, 21 home runs, 54 RBIs, 47 runs and 17 stolen bases across 63 games, according to Baseball Reference. The blend of power and speed stands out for a player who entered the season with little prospect fanfare.
His résumé at Somerset reads like a franchise record book. The Patriots noted he was the quickest player in their history to 21 home runs, getting there in just 67 games, and the fourth Somerset player to top 20 in a single season. His 35 career homers rank fourth in franchise history.
The Patriots also pointed out that his seven first-inning home runs led all of the minor leagues, a sign that Martin tends to set the tone early rather than build into games. That kind of immediate impact is part of what made the bat too loud to keep at Double-A.
The power has come with speed, too. Martin’s 17 stolen bases this season suggest an athlete who offers more than one dimension, an important detail for an outfielder trying to carve out a major league role in a crowded organization.
How the promotion landed
The Somerset Patriots announced the call-up on social media and framed it as overdue recognition for a breakout season. The post highlighted exactly why the bat had outgrown Double-A pitching.
“Congratulations to Garrett Martin on being promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre! Martin leads all Yankees minor leaguers with 21 home runs and 54 RBIs,” the Patriots wrote in a June 20 post on X.
The team followed with a detailed breakdown of his place among the system’s top hitters, underscoring how singular the power output had been.
“Garrett Martin EARNED his Triple-A promotion. 21 HR: 1st among NYY minor leaguers, T-4th in @MiLB,” the Patriots wrote in a separate post.
The reaction from those following the system focused on both the upside and the risk in his profile. He has rare raw power though has a swing-and-miss attched to it.
An immediate statement at the new level
Martin did not wait to make a first impression. In his Triple-A debut Sunday, he homered, carrying the same power that defined his Double-A surge straight to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The RailRiders marked the moment on social media, celebrating the quick arrival of his power stroke at the highest level of the minors.
“Garrett Martin brings his power from the @SOMPatriots to SWB with his first Triple-A home run!” the RailRiders wrote on X.
The early result fits a recent pattern in the pipeline. Observers noted that Somerset has fed a steady stream of breakout bats up to Scranton this season, including infielder George Lombard Jr. and Marco Luciano, with Martin the latest to make the jump.
Where Martin fits as the deadline nears
The timing gives the promotion added weight. The Yankees entered Monday at 46-30 and atop the American League East, but they have leaned on a patchwork outfield while Judge works back from injury, and the lineup went quiet in the series loss to Cincinnati.
A power bat climbing the system also carries value as the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaches. Whether Martin becomes outfield depth, a future contributor, or a trade chip, his production has made him a name to track. Triple-A is the final proving ground before the majors, and the whiff rates that follow his power will be tested there.
For now, Martin is a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRider with one Triple-A home run already on his ledger with a task to prove that his surge is no fluke.
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