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Astros Prospect Watch: CC Hooks RHP Corbin Martin

By Tomas Romo

HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 28: Houston Astros second round pick Corbin Martin arrives with Astros officials at Minute Maid Park on June 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Martin was taken with the 56th overall selection in the 2017 MLB Draft as the second of HoustonÕs two second-round picks. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 28: Houston Astros second round pick Corbin Martin arrives with Astros officials at Minute Maid Park on June 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Martin was taken with the 56th overall selection in the 2017 MLB Draft as the second of HoustonÕs two second-round picks. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
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Time to take a look at the Houston Astros, Double-A Corpus Christi’s new rising star Corbin Martin.

Corbin Martin, a right-handed pitcher, currently ranks as the Astros 9th best prospect by MLB Pipeline. Which is very good considering he was taken in the second round out of Texas A&M in last year’s draft. The 22-year-old is showing a lot of promise and could be a valuable trade asset.

Scouting Report

Control has always been a question for Martin, which is why he was moved to the bullpen at the start of his last season at A&M, but a month later he returned to the rotation and flashed first-round potential. He showcases a 95-98 mph (via MLB Pipeline) fastball with good sink and a solid break to his curveball. However, his changeup does need more work. He is very athletic standing at 6’2″ and has a strong build which can allow him to be a workhorse in the future.

The Stats

Martin didn’t allow an earned run in any of his four starts at High-A Buies Creek, striking out 26 while walking only seven. Opponents were hitting just .136 against Martin and he had a 69/16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. This showed that Martin needed a new challenge a was then promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi. All stats from Baseball-Reference.

However after a rough Double-A debut where Martin didn’t even get out of the first inning, many questioned saying he was promoted too soon. Martin has now almost been unhittable posting a 1.70 ERA in his last 13 outings with the Hooks.

In his last start against Midland, he threw six dominant innings allowing five hits and one run while striking out six and walking none. Since being called up he has posted a 52/16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. This shows that he has fixed his command issues which has always been a concern for him.

Outlook

Martin has shown how good he can be at the Double-A level and has a lot of potential going forward. He was a Texas league mid-season all-star for his dominant performances and continues to prove that he is one of the Astros top prospects. If he continues to shut down opposing hitters, he might find himself in Triple-A soon. Baseball America has him ranked 4th.

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Considering the recent struggles of the Astros bullpen, and the demotion of Ken Giles, Martin might very well have a chance to be called up to the Major League roster in September once the roster expands. If he continues to fool hitters at the plate, we might be seeing him in an Astros jersey very soon.