Angel Martinez has impressed since being called up to the Guardians

There is something to be said about a young player who gets the call to the bigs and is able to make an impact right away. This a description that applies to highly regarded Cleveland Guardians prospect Angel Martinez.

Since being called up, Martinez has eight hits in 23 at-bats, including three doubles and one home run while driving in three runs. Martinez has also walked eight times compared to one strikeout during that span, displaying a level of plate discipline that is not common for a 22-year-old. Even though his current .348/.516/.609/1.125 super slash line is unsustainable, Martinez is proving to be a more than capable hitter in the second spot in the lineup. Having a productive hitter behind Steven Kwan and ahead of Jose Ramirez is only going to make the top of Cleveland's order tougher to pitch around, and that should benefit all parties involved.

Prior to returning to Cleveland, Martinez was able to show that he is nothing left to prove in Triple-A, slashing .316/.416/.537 for the Clippers in 26 games with six doubles and five home runs with 15 RBI, suggesting that his performance at the plate for the Guardians is no fluke. Granted, both are far from large sample sizes, but both are very much encouraging developments for the young switch-hitter.

While Martinez is yet to play shortstop for the Guardians, the time that it may become absolutely necessary is drawing ever closer. It is clear that neither Brayan Rocchio nor the recently demoted Gabriel Arias is going to give Cleveland what they need at the position, and it could only be a matter of time before Martinez and his 1,128.1 innings of minor league experience at the position gets his chance.

If Martinez is able to take hold of the position and run with it, something that nobody has been able to do since Francisco Lindor was still here, it would make a huge difference for the Guardians and allow them to focus on adding starting pitching and an outfield bat at the upcoming MLB Trade Deadline rather than having to go out and acquire someone to play short. This could ultimately make the difference between the Guardians just making a postseason appearance and going on a deep postseason run.