Phillies thrilled about Casey Martin's slide in draft

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A stressful two days watching the MLB Draft with his family and girlfriend finally ended when Casey Martin was selected by the Phillies on Thursday.

About 2.5 hours into Day 2 of the draft, Philadelphia used the 87th overall pick on Arkansas’ star shortstop. It was quite the slide for a player once projected as a top-10 pick and even included in some first-round mocks.

However, Martin didn’t seem too upset about slipping into the middle of the third round when meeting with local media on a Zoom video conference Friday.

“It still hasn’t quite set in yet,” Martin said. “Just trying to figure out how to let it sink in, but it’s been a crazy ride up until now and just really grateful to be in the situation I’m in, whether going first, third, fourth, fifth round. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. Just really, really happy with the opportunity.”

Casual viewers weren’t the only ones surprised by his drop in the draft. The Phillies didn’t think there was any way Martin would still be available when their second pick rolled around, so they didn’t hesitate to snag him.

According to head coach Dave Van Horn, Philadelphia has been interested in Martin since he was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Arkansas as a senior at Lonoke and a couple of their scouts continued to stay in touch with Van Horn over the past couple of years.

“I knew the Phillies really, really liked him, and that was only their second pick,” Van Horn said. “When he fell to them they were really excited about that. He’s still going to get paid really nicely and I think bottom line he’s with an organization that really wanted him.”

Because he’s a competitor, sliding in the draft will probably motivate Martin as he begins his professional career, but Van Horn said it likely had more to do with signing bonuses and draft-day strategy.

Some fans hoped he might consider returning to school to improve his position in the draft, but Martin confirmed that wouldn’t be the case. Although he didn’t specify the exact figure, he said his signing bonus was for a “fair amount.”

Sources have indicated to HawgBeat that Martin will receive well over the $689,300 slot value for pick No. 87. Instead, he’ll likely be getting second-round money. That is made possible by the Phillies using their next pick on South Florida right-hander Carson Ragsdale, a college senior who will likely sign for well under slot to free up some of their bonus pool.

As if getting drafted wasn’t enough excitement for one day, Martin also received a FaceTime call from Bryce Harper, a six-time All-Star and the 2015 NL MVP who now plays for Philadelphia. He admitted he “kind of blacked out” in the middle of the call.

“One of the, probably, biggest moments of my life, honestly,” Martin said. “I’ve grown up watching Bryce Harper play. He's a stud. He plays the game hard, and never would I have dreamed I'd be on the other end of the phone with him.”

Despite having some of the best tools in the draft, Martin’s game has some obvious flaws, with the most notable being his inability to hit off speed pitches.

That was on display down the stretch last season and contributed to a slow start this year, including a miserable 1-for-9, six-strikeout performance in the Shriners College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Upon his return to Fayetteville, though, Martin made some adjustments at the plate.

“From a mechanical standpoint with my swing, I took the big leg kick out,” Martin said. “I went to a little toe tap that just kind of softened everything down and created a lot less movement in my head and a lot of extra movement that I didn’t need.”

In the final game before the season was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, he went 3 for 5 with four RBIs and finished a triple shy of the cycle. Martin said he believed he was about to turn a corner and have his best season yet - something Van Horn agreed with.

“Casey got off to a slow start but was really, the last two games, we played Grand Canyon University here and he had two great games,” Van Horn said. “I think if we would’ve played a full season he would’ve ended up having a tremendous season.”

When asked what he could do to improve his plate discipline, Martin said repetitions will be the key because it’ll help the game slow down for him. Being in the minor leagues should help in that regard, as he’ll be getting 500-plus at bats every year instead of the 200 or so in a college season.

The other aspect of his game that requires some work is his defense, as errors plagued him throughout his career with the Razorbacks.

Although Martin was announced as a shortstop and that’s where he played the last two years at Arkansas, MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds mentioned moving him to second base. That’s actually where he started out in the fall of his freshman year, as a backup to Carson Shaddy, but he moved to third base for the season before taking over at shortstop as a sophomore.

“He can play on the infield and I think he would be an incredible second baseman, especially the way a lot the big league teams are using the shift,” Van Horn said. “He can really throw. You can move him all over the place.”

Other draft experts have written that his speed and athleticism could fit in the outfield, particularly in center. The Phillies haven’t discussed their specific plans with him yet, but Martin seems receptive to all options.

“I actually grew up a catcher and outfielder,” Martin said. “Before I made the transition to shortstop and second base when I was 14-15, I grew up playing catcher and outfield, so it's just another position I can play, which helps me out in the long run, I think.”

Despite those issues, Martin still managed to have a productive career with the Razorbacks. A two-time second-team All-SEC selection, he slashed .310/.389/.542 with 30 home runs and 116 RBIs in 148 games.

What he hopes people remember about his time in Fayetteville, though, has nothing to do with statistics.

“Even if I was 0 for 5 with five strikeouts and three errors, there still wasn’t a day I walked off the field and said, ‘Man, I should have done more,’” Martin said. “There wasn’t a day where I didn’t give it all I had. I just hope they appreciate what I’ve been able to accomplish here, what I was able to do with the team.

“I really hope they appreciate my love for the game and all the hard work, sweat, tears and blood. I just hope they see how much I put in the game here because I left it all on the field every time.”