Hard Work Helps Royals’ Yunior Marte Step Forward At Low-A
A 21-year-old Dominican righthander in the Royals’ system aspires to be known as more than the other Yunior Marte.
The Royals signed the original Yunior Marte in 2012, and he pitched MLB relief innings for the Giants and Phillies from 2022 to 2024. This season the 30-year-old is pitching in Japan.
The Royals signed the latest Yunior Marte in 2022. This season, the 6-foot-5 righthander made the Opening Day roster for Low-A Columbia, where he posted a 2.61 ERA through his first 11 starts.
Marte missed time with an injury last season. Now healthy, he had racked up 46 strikeouts and 18 walks through 51.2 innings. Opponents hit just .199.
Marte has two above-average pitches. He throws a 93-97 mph fastball with two-seam run and a slider that sits 84-88. His third offering is a developing split changeup at 87-88 mph.
Prior to his injury, Marte touched 100 mph in shorter stints, so there will likely be more velocity to come.
Marte does a good job keeping his long levers in sync while repeating his delivery, but it remains a priority development goal for him.
“One of the things we’ve worked on with him was staying down the line longer,” Royals director of pitching performance Paul Gibson said, “and getting deeper into his front side. That progress has been really good.”
Gibson credits the work that Marte has done as part of a program for young pitching prospects called “Makin’ Aces.”
“The purpose of the program is self-awareness and giving them goals in their whole development,” Gibson said. “He’s taken that program really seriously and has gotten his body in the best shape of his life.”
ROYALTIES
— Yunior Marte is known for his outstanding makeup. Earlier this year he was the recipient of the Carlos Fortuna Award, named after the Royals pitcher who died in 2013 after a battle with cancer.
The annual award recognizes a Royals player who is dedicated to improving his English on and off the field, and who exemplifies leadership, great work ethic, discipline and dedication. Coincidentally, the Fortuna Award was given previously to the other Yunior Marte in 2013.
