Francis Martes

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Houston Astros #1 prospect in 2017
  The Marlins don't spend much money internationally, but they have done a great job of finding bargains on the international market. Miami signed Martes for just $78,000 in 2012 and watched him quickly develop from a pitcher with a high-80s fastball and some feel into a low- to mid-90s fireballer. He stood out in the Dominican Summer League in 2013 before he ever pitched in the U.S. Impressed with Martes' ability to mix a plus fastball and plus curveball in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2014, the Astros ensured he was included in the Jarred Cosart trade that July, even though Martes was struggling to get outs and throw strikes in a complex league. He has made dramatic leaps since then as he has filled out and developed a changeup. Once considered a likely power reliever, Martes has developed into one of the fastest-moving starting pitchers in the minors. For example, he was the youngest pitcher in Double-A when the 2016 season began. Martes started slowly at Corpus Christi and had a 5.03 ERA in early June, but he went 5-4, 2.67 in the second half with 81 strikeouts and 20 walks in 71 innings. Few minor league pitchers can match Martes in terms of raw stuff, and the same is true for major leaguers. He has touched 100 mph with his fastball and generally sits 93-97. His plus-plus four-seamer doesn't have exceptional run, but it still generates plenty of swings and misses thanks to its extreme velocity and his ability to work in and out and up and down. Scouts debate whether Martes' ability to work all four quadrants is by design or by good fortune, because he sometimes misses his target significantly but still manages to be around the strike zone. Even though he's short for a righthander--he is officially listed at 6-foot-1 but probably is closer to 6 feet--Martes gets some downhill plane when he works down in the zone. His hard downer curveball at 85-87 mph gives him a second potential 70-grade pitch on the 20-80 scouting scale. It has power and downward break reminiscent of that of fellow Astros righthander Lance McCullers Jr. Martes' curve comes in at slider speed, but it has true 12-to-6 or 11-to-5 break rather than the sweep of a slider. Unlike McCullers, Martes uses his fastball as his main weapon, which sets up his curve. His changeup is less consistent, but it generates plus grades from some and it improved as 2016 wore on. He throws it harder than most changeups, but it generates whiffs thanks to its late drop. It will show some late fade at times, though more by accident than design. The fade generally happens when he spins out of his delivery instead of staying direct to the plate. Martes has also toyed with using a cutter against lefthanders. Martes has the raw profile of an ace with two pitches that grade near the top of the scale, a changeup that is at least average and at least average control. He has filled out into a thick-chested, meaty righthander who evokes comparisons with Johnny Cueto because of his short stature and big stuff. After six starts in the Arizona Fall League, Martes is ready for Triple-A Frenso and could reach the big leagues at some point in 2017.
• 
  Ranked Houston Astros #2 prospect in 2016
  The Astros make it a point of emphasis to scout the complex leagues in search of young, high-ceiling talent. The best payback so far from that approach is Martes, a hard-throwing, raw righthander for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Marlins when he was acquired in the 2014 Jarred Cosart-Colin Moran trade. A year later, he's one of the better pitching prospects in the minors. Martes jumped from complex ball to Double-A Corpus Christi in one year because he has two present plusplus pitches. He can manipulate his 93-95 mph fastball like a vet as he adds and subtracts velocity and generates plenty of life. His fastball sets up a power curveball that's 81-85 mph with depth and excellent spin. The combo of a fastball and hard curve can't help but remind scouts of Lance McCullers Jr.'s arsenal. As one scout put it: "At two strikes, you're dead." Martes could succeed as a reliever with his current two offerings, but he needs to improve his changeup to develop as a starter. His change shows some sink and has average potential because he maintains the arm speed and slot of his fastball, but he uses it infrequently. His control is average already, but he still loses the feel for his delivery for stretches. Scouts love how Martes always seems in charge on the mound. He shows no expression whether he's struck out the last three or given up three straight hits--but he has much more experience with recording three straight strikeouts. Martes will return to Corpus Christi, but he's not far from the big leagues and he has the potential to be a front-line starter.
• 
  Ranked Houston Astros #17 prospect in 2015
  The Marlins signed Martes for just $87,000 in 2012, then saw his fastball velocity jump into the low 90s in his first pro season in the Dominican Summer League. He jumped to the U.S. in 2014 and attracted the Astros' attention, and Houston added him as a piece in the July trade that shipped Jarred Cosart to Miami while bringing Colin Moran and Jake Marisnick to the Astros. One source said the Astros insisted on Martes to seal the deal. He pitched better after the trade, though his Rookie-level Gulf Coast League season ended early with tightness in his biceps. He can pitch off his fastball that sits in the low 90s and has touched 97 mph with excellent life, which can make it hard to command. His changeup flashes above-average at times and should be a consistent plus pitch for him in the future. While his slider and curveball tend to blend together, at least he has shown the ability to spin the ball. He has a nice, repeatable delivery, which should make him a more consistent strike-thrower in the future. He'll have a chance to earn a spot in the low Class A Quad Cities piggyback rotation in 2015.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Arizona Fall League #6 prospect in 2016
  Martes, 20, takes the same swagger to the mound and has the same body type as big league pitcher Johnny Cueto, and it shouldn't be long before he joins his fellow countryman in the big leagues. Finishing with a fall stat line of 2-1, 3.22 and 25 strikeouts in 22.1 innings, Martes uses a blazing fastball sitting 94-96 mph, touching 98, and teams it with two quality secondary offerings. He calls his breaking ball a curveball but it looks more like a slider, with at least one observer calling it a plus-plus pitch, and the above-average hard changeup works well off his other two pitches and is used to get swings-and-misses.
• 
  Ranked Texas League #3 prospect in 2016
  Martes frequently brought no-hitter stuff to the mound, and even when he struggled with control, he dominated hitters with his fastball. He was one of the youngest pitchers in Double-A, and it showed at times. His control needs further refinement, and Martes still misses his target by feet at times by bouncing curveballs or overthrowing fastballs high and to his arm side. Martes has a long arm action with a quick-tempo delivery, but when he's locked in he can dominate hitters with a 92-98 mph fastball with plenty of armside run and an above-average curveball. He has touched 100 mph. His hard split-changeup also flashes above-average, though it's clearly his third offering.
• 
  Ranked Midwest League #5 prospect in 2015
  The Astros overwhelmed the MWL with multiple waves of outstanding pitchers. Even while using 37 different hurlers, Quad Cities posted a league-best 2.65 ERA. Eight different River Bandits starters posted an ERA under 2.00, but none was more impressive than Martes. Acquired from the Marlins in last July's Jarred Cosart deal, Martes impressed scouts and managers with two plus pitches, evoking comparisons with Lance McCullers Jr. because he throws a 93-95 mph fastball and a power curveball that combines slider speed (83-85) with a curve's downward tilt. McCullers lacked a quality changeup when he pitched in the MWL, and the same is true with Martes. However, Martes' control and command is significantly more advanced at the same stage in his development. His delivery has no obvious red flags, so while he could help the big league club as a reliever as quickly as 2016, scouts project him as a future front-line starter.
• 
  Ranked Florida Complex League #19 prospect in 2014
  The Marlins have demonstrated a knack for finding quality prospects on a shoestring budget in the Dominican Republic, and Martes is one of their most recent finds. He threw in the high 80s at the time he signed for $78,000 after the 2012 season, but his fastball jumped to the low 90s last year. He struggled in his U.S. debut this year, but he attracted the interest of other teams when he hit 97 mph in the GCL. The Astros acquired Martes at the trade deadline as a supplementary piece in the deal that also brought prospects Jake Marisnick and Colin Moran to Houston from the Marlins at the expense of righthander Jarred Cosart and two other players. Martes pitched better after the trade, but his season ended prematurely when he came down with biceps tightness. Houston expects him back in time for instructional league. Martes has a lively fastball that sits in the low 90s, and his changeup flashes above-average at times and should be a consistent plus pitch for him in the future. He will need to bring either his curveball or slider along into a more reliable third pitch, but he has a nice, repeatable delivery, which should make him a more consistent strike-thrower in the future.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #15 prospect in 2017
• Ranked Baseball America's #20 prospect in 2016

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: The Marlins don't spend much money internationally, but they have done a great job of finding bargains on the international market. Miami signed Martes for just $78,000 in 2012 and watched him quickly develop from a pitcher with a high-80s fastball and some feel into a low- to mid-90s fireballer. He stood out in the Dominican Summer League in 2013 before he ever pitched in the U.S. Impressed with Martes' ability to mix a plus fastball and plus curveball in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2014, the Astros ensured he was included in the Jarred Cosart trade that July, even though Martes was struggling to get outs and throw strikes in a complex league. He has made further developmental leaps since then as he has filled out and developed a changeup. Once considered a likely power reliever, Martes has developed into one of the fastest-moving starting pitchers in the minors. For example, he was the youngest pitcher in Double-A when the 2016 season began. Martes started slowly at Corpus Christi and had a 5.03 ERA in early June, but he went 5-4, 2.67 in the second half with 81 strikeouts and 20 walks in 71 innings. Scouting Report: Martes' stuff has few peers in the minors or majors. He has touched 100 mph with his fastball and generally sits 93-97. His plus-plus four-seamer doesn't have exceptional run, but it still generates plenty of swings and misses thanks to its extreme velocity and his ability to work in and out and up and down. Scouts do debate whether Martes' ability to work all four quadrants is by design or by good fortune, because he sometimes misses his target significantly but still manages to be around the strike zone. Even though he's short for a righthander--he is officially listed at 6-foot-1 but probably is closer to 6 feet--Martes gets some downhill plane when he works down in the zone. His hard downer curveball at 85-87 mph gives him a second potential 70-grade pitch on the 20-80 scouting scale. Its power and downward break is reminiscent of that of fellow Astros righthander Lance McCullers Jr. Martes' curve comes in at slider speed, but it has true 12-to-6 or 11-to-5 break rather than the sweep of a slider. Unlike McCullers, Martes uses his fastball as his main weapon, which sets up his curve. His changeup is less consistent, but it generates plus grades from some and it improved as the year wore on. He throws it harder than most changeups, but it generates whiffs thanks to its late drop. It will show some late fade at times, though more by accident than design. The fade generally happens when he spins out of his delivery instead of staying direct to the plate. Martes has also toyed with using a cutter against lefthanders.
  
  The Future: Martes has the raw profile of an ace with two pitches that grade near the top of the scale, a changeup that is at least average and at least average control. He has filled out into a thick-chested, meaty righthander who evokes comparisons with Johnny Cueto because of his short stature and big stuff. Martes is ready for Triple-A Frenso as a 21-year-old and could reach the big leagues at some point in 2017.
• August, 2016 Scouting Report
  Martes, 20, takes the same swagger to the mound and has the same body type as big league pitcher Johnny Cueto, and it shouldn't be long before he joins his fellow countryman in the big leagues. Finishing with a fall stat line of 2-1, 3.22 and 25 strikeouts in 22.1 innings, Martes uses a blazing fastball sitting 94-96 mph, touching 98, and teams it with two quality secondary offerings. He calls his breaking ball a curveball but it looks more like a slider, with at least one observer calling it a plus-plus pitch, and the above-average hard changeup works well off his other two pitches and is used to get swings-and-misses.