Angel Martínez Is Heating Up Again — And Nobody's Paying Attention
Angel Martínez is posting a .403 wOBA over the last seven days with a strikeout rate that's been cut nearly in half, and he's sitting on 9% roster ownership with zero momentum in the add column. If you've been following WaiverScout, this name isn't new to you. But the signal is sharpening.
The Rolling Window Tells the Story
Let's walk through it. Over the last seven days, Martínez slashed .316 AVG with a home run, a stolen base, and that .403 wOBA across 22 plate appearances. His K% dropped to 13.6% — down from 20.5% over the 30-day window. Meanwhile, his walk rate surged to 9.1% from a paltry 3.6% over 30 days. That's a hitter who's not just making more contact — he's making better decisions at the plate.
The 14-day numbers show this isn't a two-game fluke either. Over 38 PA, he's hitting .286 with a homer, two steals, and a 13.2% K rate. The plate discipline improvement has been building for two weeks, not two days. That's a solid sample, and the data is clear: Martínez has meaningfully adjusted his approach.
Skills Check: Real or Mirage?
Here's where it gets interesting — and where some caution is warranted. His exit velocity over the last week sits at 91.8 mph, a notable jump from 86.1 mph over 30 days. That's a real gain. But his hard-hit rate is 33.3% across both the 7-day and 14-day windows, which is modest. He's making solid contact, but he's not consistently barreling the ball.
The 91.8 mph EV is encouraging as a trend, but it needs to hold. If the exit velocity regresses back toward that 86.1 mph 30-day mark, the wOBA won't sustain at .403. That's the gap between a Watch and an Add Now.
WaiverScout Has Been Tracking This
We first flagged Martínez as an Add Now back on April 13 when he was rostered in 34% of leagues. He ran hot, we called it, and ownership climbed to 50% by late May. Then came the fade — we shifted to Deprioritize as the numbers softened, and the fantasy world moved on. Ownership cratered from 50% to 9%.
But we've been watching. We flagged him again on August 4 and August 12 as a Watch. On August 16, we downgraded to Deprioritize when the data didn't support action. Now, two weeks later, the approach metrics have flipped, the strikeout rate has cratered, and the wOBA is back above .400 over seven days. The signal is re-emerging.
The Ownership Window
At 9% rostered with no roster% velocity, this player isn't on anyone's radar. No major fantasy publication is writing about him right now. That's your window. If the exit velocity holds and the plate discipline gains stick through another week of games, the Add Now classification won't be far behind — and by then, the ownership number won't be 9%.
The multi-position eligibility at 2B and OF adds roster flexibility, and he's getting consistent run with 22 PA over the last seven days in Cleveland's lineup. Playing time isn't a concern right now.
Verdict: Watch
Angel Martínez is a Watch. The plate discipline transformation over the last two weeks is real — a K% under 14% with a walk rate above 9% is a different hitter than the one posting a 20.5% K rate and 3.6% BB rate over 30 days. The exit velocity jump to 91.8 mph supports the wOBA surge, but the 33.3% hard-hit rate means we need one more week of confirmation before pulling the trigger. If you're in deeper leagues or need 2B/OF help, you can justify an early move. In standard formats, keep him at the top of your watch list. The numbers are trending in the right direction, and this time, nobody else is looking.