Russell Martin

2013

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2012

Martin got off to a strong start in 2011, hitting .292 in April and making the All-Star team, but he struggled for much of the balance of the season, and ended up the year hitting just .237 while his contact rate quietly slipped for the third straight season. The 18 homers Martin put up look decent for a catcher, but six of those were in April and it would be a mistake to count on that kind of production in 2012.  Martin does still have a good eye at the plate, and eight steals are helpful from a catcher, but there are many stronger options available behind the plate and repeating his numbers from last season is likely a best-case scenario.

2011

Martin has gone from an elite catcher in 2007 to a very good in 2008 to a mediocre option the past two seasons. On the plus side, Martin's plate discipline remains solid (BB/PA rates of 11.8 and 12.4 percent the past two seasons), but the power has vanished. After homering once every 28.4 at-bats in 2007, Martin has regressed to 42.5, 72.1, and 66.2 the past three seasons. He signed a one-year deal with the Yankees in December to be their primary backstop, but keep in mind he's still going to play all of 2011 as a 28-year-old coming back from hip and knee surgeries.

2010

Martin batted a disappointing .250/.352/.329 in 2009, the second consecutive season his OPS has experienced a drop-off. Compared to 2007, Martin's home runs dropped from 19 to seven and his stolen bases have fallen from 21 to 11. Martin appeared in 12 fewer games last year than in 2008, so perhaps it's a combination of overuse and lack of conditioning. Still, he's just 27 and should probably be considered a top-10 catcher heading into 2010.

2009

Once again among the leaders in catcher at-bats, Martin batted .280/.385/.396 with 18 stolen bases in his third full season. His power output was down (from 19 homers and 32 doubles in 2007 to 13 and 25 last season), with the fact that just three of the 13 homers came after the All-Star break giving more ammo to those who think Martin needs a few more days off. Continue to consider him a top-five catcher in 2009 and expect a few more days off and/or starts at third base in order to keep him fresh for the season's second half.

2008

Martin quickly became a fan favorite in 2006, and stepped up to become a fantasy superstar. He's arguably baseball's most valuable fantasy catcher (considering his age) after a 2007 in which Martin hit 19 homers and stole 21 bases. No other catcher had more than seven steals and Martin's 87 RBI ranked second in the NL to Brian McCann. At age 25 and with perhaps an improved Dodgers lineup, Martin could be even better in 2008.

2007

Martin played Wally Pipp to Dioner Navarro's Lou Gehrig, as he stepped in for the injured Navarro in May and never looked back. Long thought of as the team's catcher of the future, the future came a bit sooner than expected, as Martin solidified his hold on the position, probably for the forseeable future. At the plate, he is a fundamentally sound mix of plate discipline and developing power. Seasons of .300/.400/.480 could be in his future and with the fantasy catcher list tending to thin quickly, Martin is already one of the best.

2006

Many scouts and officials in the Dodgers' organization view Martin as the best catching prospect in the system, ahead of even Dioner Navarro. Martin's defensive skills are widely acclaimed and he has a nice patient approach at the plate. He still needs to grow into his power, but there's some potential there as well. Martin could reach the majors by midseason, or when Sandy Alomar Jr. has his first DL trip.