Giants Hot Prospect Walker Martin Making Huge Breakthrough at Plate

The San Francisco Giants were sold on Walker Martin’s athleticism and his ability to develop into a power-hitting infielder.

He appears to be finally coming on.

The 21-year-old, who started his professional career straight out of high school, made an appearance on Baseball America’s Top 20 hitters list for his performance last week with Class-A San Jose.

It could be a sign that his performance at the plate, where he has struggled for much of his pro career, is starting to turn around.

Breaking Down Walker Martin’s Big Week at San Jose

Last week with the San Jose Giants, Martin had at least one hit in each game he played. For the week he slashed .364/.464/.864, going 8-for-22, with three home runs and seven RBI. He also had two doubles, scored seven runs, drew five walks and struck out 10 times.

On May 9 his batting average was .189. Since then, he’s had at least one hit in all but one game, and he is now slashing .235/.319/.510 with seven home runs and 23 RBI in 26 games.

Given that he was playing high school baseball two years ago, San Francisco has brought the left-handed hitting shortstop along slowly. After he was drafted in 2023, he didn’t play organized professional baseball until 2024.

He started last season at the Giants’ Arizona Complex League team, where he played 44 games, before he was promoted to San Jose for the remaining 25 games. Combined, he slashed .218/.391/.362 with eight home runs and 38 RBI.

His numbers took a downturn after the promotion, as his slash fell to .202/.358/.333, with two home runs and 16 RBI.

Martin was selected No. 52 overall by the Giants in the 2023 MLB Draft. San Francisco signed him for an over-slot signing bonus of $2.9975 million. He turned down a scholarship offer from Arkansas to sign with the Giants.

In the prep ranks, he was named the Colorado Gatorade player of the year during his senior year at Eaton High School in Eaton, Colo., after he batted .633 with 20 home runs and 75 RBI. He led all high school players in the country in home runs in 2024.

He was also a multi-sport athlete at Eaton, where he played quarterback. He passed for 2,706 yards and 34 touchdowns in leading the team to a state championship.