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Defence will be a priority as Orelvis Martinez returns to triple-A this season
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Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Thomas Hall
Mar 26, 2025, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Mar 26, 2025, 12:05 EDT
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Offensively, the Toronto Blue Jays know what they have in Orelvis Martinez, whose raw power at the plate is among the best in this organization’s system. As for his defence, though, that remains a work in progress.
The 23-year-old slugger entered spring training with an opportunity to break camp with the big-league club because of his bat and didn’t disappoint early on, homering in his second at-bat of Grapefruit League action on Feb. 22. It was an opposite-field solo shot off New York Yankees left-hander Brandon Leibrandt, travelling 390 feet and producing a 105.6-m.p.h. exit velocity.
Martinez displayed the level of impact he could have on the Blue Jays’ lineup in 2025, going 3-for-7 with two extra-base hits and three runs driven in across his first four games of the spring. He also walked twice and only struck out once, checking another box for the coaching staff.
But an illness caused him to miss time in early March, stopping his early-spring offensive surge in its tracks. Upon returning, the right-handed-hitting infielder struggled to replicate his previous success, recording just five hits — all singles — over his final 11 contests while striking out six times without earning a walk.
There was a belief that Martinez — optioned to triple-A Buffalo on Mar. 20 — could head north with the Blue Jays for Opening Day as a bat-only DH, although that theory quickly lost steam following the first few weeks of camp. Instead, the team hopes to continue developing the defensive elements of his craft during his third go-around with the Bisons.
“The message to Orelvis has been fairly consistent — the defensive part is a priority,” manager John Schneider told reporters in Dunedin, Fla., including Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling. “With him being a year older and a little bit more mature, knowing that, yeah, his bat is going to carry him. So, let’s continue to focus on that and not lose sight of that, while working on your defence and then really being aware of game situations.”
The goal is to have Martinez ultimately become an all-around, complete major-league player. But he’s not there quite yet. And he doesn’t exactly have a clear pathway to The Show anymore, either.
Over the last two seasons, Martinez has logged most of his reps in the field at second base, compiling 25 starts in 2023 and 38 in ’24. But with Andrés Giménez now Toronto’s everyday second baseman, his best shot of finding a home on the diamond appears to be at third, where he’s made just 33 career starts since debuting at triple-A two years ago.
Adjusting to the hot corner wasn’t an easy transition for the Dominican native this spring, and understandably so. Such a drastic change is going to come with its growing pains.
Part of the development process is having Martinez craft a game plan in the field, which is also something the Blue Jays have emphasized to him regarding his offensive skill set.
“For a lot of guys at that level and with that kind of talent, that’s the last box to check,” Schneider said. “So, whether it’s playing third, playing second, where he’s going on a cut off and relay, what the game state may say. Really trying to have some intentional conversations about those things when they do pop up and being aware to make adjustments as quickly as he can.”
As Martinez heads back to Buffalo, chances are he’ll find his way up to the majors at some point later this season, whether that’s as an option at second, third base or DH. When that time arrives, he’ll hope to enjoy a longer stint with the Blue Jays than last season’s, which ended after only one game due to his 80-game PED suspension.
Toronto’s young slugger — who’ll also aim to take a step forward with his offensive craft in ’25, particularly his effectiveness against breaking balls versus right-handed pitchers, who registered a 40-per-cent chase rate and a whiff rate of nearly 42 per cent against him last season — displayed zero signs of rust upon returning from his suspension, clubbing seven extra-base hits and hitting above .300 over his final 11 games at triple-A.

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