PROSPECT: Erik Martinez, RP, Los Angeles Angels
ANALYSIS: After a strong career out of the bullpen with Cal-Berkeley, Martinez went undrafted in 2018. He spent the next four seasons playing independent ball and in the Mexican League before the Angels signed him this offseason.
So far, Martinez has posted a 1.99 ERA combined between Single-A and High-A this season, with a 37/7 K/BB rate over 22 2/3 innings. At 27, he was five years older than fellow Cal League players and nearly four years older than his Northwest League compatriots.
Martinez has worked with a fastball/slider combination out of the bullpen so far, touching 97 with the heater and pairing it with a definite plus slider. The biggest question is how his stuff will play once he gets to the upper minors.
VERDICT: While not on the major league radar right now, this is looking like a "find" for the Angels scouting team. If he can pass upper minor tests this year, he could compete for a spot in a wide-open Angels bullpen in 2024.
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