BRADENTON, Fla. – It’s a perfect match.
The Pittsburgh Pirates need a long-term first baseman.
They have power hitting left-handed first baseman Mason Martin set for Triple-A in 2022. The MLB option, Yoshi Tsutsugo, is on a one-year deal.
The only problem?
Martin hits for power — with 60 home runs across four levels over his last two seasons — but also strikes out a lot. His strikeout rate from Low-A to Triple-A, in order, in the last two seasons: 29%, 32.3%, 34.2%, 37.0%.
His strikeouts went up with every level increase, with Triple-A only seeing 27 plate appearances.