Carlos Martinez has been solid for the Cardinals in 2015
The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most storied franchises in Major League history, and they have added to that history so far this season. The Cardinals are currently running away with the NL Central, they have a MLB-best 51-25 record and are currently eight games ahead of the second-place team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. One of the biggest surprises this season has been Carlos Martinez, who has come into the starting rotation and made a major impact.
Martinez has been a breath of fresh air for the Cardinals, as the young pitcher has added life to a rotation that has battled injuries, including the loss of Adam Wainwright. Martinez is 9-3 in 16 starts with a 2.80 ERA in 93 1/3 innings pitched. He has struck out 100 batters so far this season. On May 31st Martinez had the best start of his career, pitching seven shutout innings, only allowing one hit, while walking three and striking out eight. But the 31st was more special to him for a different reason, as it was the day his best friend and former teammate Oscar Tavares made his Major League debut, hitting his first home run in his second at-bat. Tavares died last year on October 26 in a car accident, and Martinez was hit the hardest by this loss. In the wake of his friend’s passing he vowed that it would shape him into a better person.
Martinez changed his number to 18 in honor of Tavares, and before he steps on the mound every game he writes the initials of his best friend in the dirt behind the mound. The loss has shaped Martinez into a better person, and he has been a much more consistent pitcher on the mound this season. This season, Martinez has slightly better numbers on the road where he is 5-2 with a 2.73 ERA in 52 2/3 innings and 59 strikeouts, but at home his numbers are still solid with a 4-1 record in 40 2/3 innings with 41 strikeouts. Martinez has been slightly better against righties with a 2.79 ERA and 55 strikeouts, while versus lefties (2.80 ERA with 45 strikeouts).
Martinez is still a young pitcher, but he has handled the pressure of stepping into the starting rotation like a veteran. Martinez’s primary pitch is a four-seam fastball that hovers right around 96 mph. He has pretty good control making this pitch extremely dangerous around the corners of the plate. He also throws a 95 mph sinker with nasty downward spin, a slider at 85 mph, and has mixed in an 87 mph change-up on a few occasions. Martinez has provided solid depth to fantasy owners this season, as he’s been able to increase his consistency from previous years. Still, his FIP (3.50) is significantly higher than his ERA given his high strand rate and low BABIP. This indicates regression may be coming, and owners, especially those DFS players, risk a blow up from Martinez.
Still, all things considered, Martinez has been a very useful SP for fantasy purposes in 2015. He’s provided good ratios, has high strikeout upside and pitches for one of the best teams in the majors.
James McGowan is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from James, check out his archive or follow him @jmc3310.
