Chris Martin

Chris Martin

36-Year-Old PitcherRP
Boston Red Sox
2023 Fantasy Outlook
In his age-36 season, Martin tallied a career-high 56 innings between the Cubs and Dodgers. He impressively led qualified relievers with a 2.2% walk rate, issuing just five free passes all season. He also boasted a career-best 32.9% strikeout rate, leading to a 30.7% K-BB percentage that was fourth-best among relievers. Martin was especially dominant in the second half, with a 1.67 ERA, 0.63 WHIP and 39:1 K:BB over 27 innings. The right-hander mixes six pitches, but his mid-90s 4-seamer (45% pitch usage) was his best offering, with 45 of his 74 strikeouts coming via the heater. He threw more cutters (32%) last season, but the pitch wasn't as successful as his split-finger (9%) has been. Martin only has nine career saves, but his strong second half shows he could handle closing duties whenever Kenley Jansen is unavailable. Read Past Outlooks
RANKSFrom Preseason
#568
ADP
$Signed a two-year, $17.5 million contract with the Red Sox in December of 2022.
Picks up hold
PBoston Red Sox
May 21, 2023
Martin retired all three batters he faced in the eighth inning for a hold in Saturday's 4-2 win over San Diego.
ANALYSIS
Martin has excelled since returning from the injured list earlier this month. Saturday's effort was his fifth hold in six scoreless outings since May 1, during which the right-hander has allowed three hits and one walk while striking out seven.
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Pitching Stats
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2023 MLB Game Log
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2022 MLB Game Log
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2021 MLB Game Log
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2020 MLB Game Log
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2019 MLB Game Log
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2018 MLB Game Log
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Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
13
Last 10 Games
13
Last 5 Games
10
How many pitches does Chris Martin generally throw?
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
What part of the game does Chris Martin generally pitch?
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2021
 
 
-7%
BAA vs RHP
2023
 
 
-29%
BAA vs RHP
2022
 
 
-1%
BAA vs RHP
2021
 
 
-8%
BAA vs RHP
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2021vs Left .263 210 48 9 52 10 2 5
Since 2021vs Right .244 249 68 4 58 7 0 6
2023vs Left .261 23 3 0 6 1 0 1
2023vs Right .185 30 6 2 5 0 0 0
2022vs Left .232 105 30 5 23 5 2 2
2022vs Right .229 120 44 0 27 4 0 4
2021vs Left .303 82 15 4 23 4 0 2
2021vs Right .280 99 18 2 26 3 0 2
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2021
 
 
-18%
ERA at Home
2023
 
 
-100%
ERA at Home
2022
 
 
-28%
ERA at Home
2021
 
 
-1%
ERA on Road
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2021Home 2.85 0.93 53.2 3 1 2 8.9 1.2 0.5
Since 2021Away 3.49 1.23 59.1 3 5 1 9.6 0.9 1.2
2023Home 0.00 1.17 6.0 0 0 0 7.5 3.0 0.0
2023Away 2.35 0.78 7.2 0 1 0 4.7 0.0 1.2
2022Home 2.52 0.68 25.0 3 0 1 11.5 0.7 0.4
2022Away 3.48 1.23 31.0 1 1 1 12.2 0.9 1.5
2021Home 3.97 1.15 22.2 0 1 1 6.4 1.2 0.8
2021Away 3.92 1.40 20.2 2 3 0 7.4 1.3 0.9
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Stat Review
How does Chris Martin compare to other relievers?
This section compares his stats with all relief pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 30 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 30 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • K/BB
    Strikeout to walk ratio.
  • K/9
    Average strikeouts per nine innings.
  • BB/9
    Average walks per nine innings.
  • HR/9
    Average home runs allowed per nine innings.
  • Fastball
    Average fastball velocity.
  • ERA
    Earned run average. The average earned runs allowed per nine innings.
  • WHIP
    Walks plus hits per inning pitched.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many balls in play against a pitcher go for hits.
  • GB/FB
    Groundball to flyball ratio. The higher the number, the more likely a pitcher is to induce groundballs.
  • Left On Base
    The percentage of base runners that a pitcher strands on base over the course of a season.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Barrels/BBE
    The percentage of batted ball events resulting in a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Spin Rate
    Spin Rate is the rate of spin on a baseball after it is released. It is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm).
  • Balls Hit 95+ MPH
    The percentage of batted balls hit that met or exceeded the 95 MPH threshold.
  • Swinging Strike
    The percentage of pitches that result in a swing and a miss.
K/BB
4.50
 
K/9
5.9
 
BB/9
1.3
 
HR/9
0.7
 
Fastball
95.0 mph
 
ERA
1.32
 
WHIP
0.95
 
BABIP
.253
 
GB/FB
2.50
 
Left On Base
94.8%
 
Exit Velocity
79.9 mph
 
Barrels/BBE
1.4%
 
Spin Rate
2129 rpm
 
Balls Hit 95+ MPH
20.5%
 
Swinging Strike
8.8%
 
Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2021
2020
2018
2016
2015
Martin has had one of the more impressive late-career breakouts in baseball. Through 2018 (his age-32 season), he owned a poor 5.31 ERA in just 78 career innings. In 2019, he emerged to post a 3.40 ERA in 55.2 innings for the Rangers and Braves, a number he backed up with a 30.1 K% and 2.3 BB%. 2020 was much the same for the veteran righty, who rode a 30.3 K% and 4.5 BB% to a 1.00 ERA in 18 frames. It did take some good fortune to get to that number, including his .171 BABIP and 84.9% strand rate, but his 2.36 FIP indicates he was still dominant even after accounting for that. There were a few worrying numbers for Martin -- his GB% plummeted from 50.0 to 39.0 while his fastball velocity dropped from 95.7 to 94.1 mph -- but the overall picture here is of a strong high-leverage reliever. He could fall off at any point given his age but should remain near the top of the closer depth chart in Atlanta until that happens.
Two seasons ago, Martin was pitching in Japan after failed stints with the Rockies and Yankees. In 2019, he emerged as a viable setup man, racking up 18 holds and four saves in 58 appearances between Texas and Atlanta. The right-hander established career bests in nearly every category including FIP (3.24), WHIP (1.02) and strikeout rate (30.1%). Martin limited baserunners by posting the second-lowest walk rate in the league among qualified relievers (2.3 BB%). That number was not an aberration; he maintained a similarly-stingy 2.8 BB% in 2018. Relievers who strike out over a batter an inning while demonstrating elite command/control are hard to find -- especially when they have a five-pitch arsenal as Martin does. The 33-year-old returned to Atlanta on a two-year, $14 million deal, and while closing seems unlikely with Mark Melancon and Will Smith heading up the relief corps, it's not out of the question.
Martin pitched in Japan the past two years after disappointing stints with the Rockies in 2014 and Yankees in 2015. The 31-year-old had a 1.12 ERA and 91:13 K:BB in 89.1 innings of relief with the Nippon Ham Fighters over the past two seasons. He'll work in middle relief after signing a two-year, $4 million contract with the Rangers.
Martin was traded to the Yankees toward the end of the offseason last year, but struggled to make much of an impact in the majors, as he pitched to a 5.66 ERA in 20.2 innings. He was released by New York at the beginning of the 2015 offseason with the intention of signing with the Nippon-Ham Fighters of Japan, so he'll likely be off the fantasy radar entirely for at least the 2016 season, if not beyond.
Martin made his debut with the Rockies as a 27-year-old last April, completing an improbable journey to the majors for the reliever, who had been a full-time warehouse worker just four years earlier. Unfortunately for Martin, the feel-good story didn’t continue during his 16 appearances with the Rockies (6.89 ERA, 1.66 WHIP), and his surface numbers weren’t overwhelmingly better over his 26.2 innings at Triple-A, either. There were some positive things to take away from his time with the Rockies, however. On the strength of a mid-90s fastball he was often able to keep low in the zone, Martin generated a 60.8% groundball rate. Moreover, the right-hander’s .408 BABIP and 3.77 FIP indicate that he could become a passable MLB reliever with a little better luck. He’ll get another look in the Colorado bullpen this season, though it’s unlikely he’ll rank high on the totem pole for saves.
More Fantasy News
Makes quick work for hold
PBoston Red Sox
May 6, 2023
Martin retired all three batters faced in the eighth inning of Friday's 5-3 win over Philadelphia.
ANALYSIS
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Back from injured list
PBoston Red Sox
April 30, 2023
Martin (shoulder) was activated from the 15-day injured list Sunday, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.
ANALYSIS
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Will be activated Sunday
PBoston Red Sox
Shoulder
April 29, 2023
Martin (shoulder) will come off the injured list before Sunday's game against the Guardians, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.
ANALYSIS
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Could be activated Sunday
PBoston Red Sox
Shoulder
April 29, 2023
Martin (shoulder) could be activated Sunday if he checks out OK after Friday's rehab outing, Christoper Smith of MassLive.com reports.
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Rehab appearance pushed back
PBoston Red Sox
Shoulder
April 27, 2023
Martin (shoulder) will make his rehab debut Friday instead of Thursday due to a stomach bug, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.
ANALYSIS
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