Austin Martin Is Putting the Bat on the Ball — and the Numbers Back It Up

Austin Martin is slashing .417 with a .493 wOBA over the last seven days, and this isn't noise. The former fifth overall pick is flashing the kind of skills data that demands your attention in every format, even if he's only rostered in 3% of leagues right now.

WaiverScout flagged Martin as a deprioritize back on March 24 and again on April 6. On April 16, we upgraded him to a watch at just 1% ownership. Since then, the signal has only strengthened. Ownership has climbed to 3% — still nearly invisible — but the underlying data has accelerated in a way that puts him firmly on the add-watch radar.

The Rolling Window Tells the Story

Look at how Martin's numbers have trended across the three windows:

  • 30-day: .346 AVG, .438 wOBA, 15.3% K%, 23.6% BB%, 43.1% HardHit%, 87.2 mph EV
  • 14-day: .417 AVG, .506 wOBA, 17.6% K%, 26.5% BB%, 66.7% HardHit%, 93.7 mph EV
  • 7-day: .417 AVG, .493 wOBA, 18.8% K%, 25.0% BB%, 66.7% HardHit%, 92.0 mph EV

The average has held steady at .417 over the last two weeks. The walk rate sitting at 25.0% in the last seven days — and 26.5% over 14 — signals elite plate discipline, not just hot-streak luck. Martin is seeing the ball and making pitchers pay for mistakes. That 1 HR and 2 SB in the 30-day window add a modest counting-stat floor while the contact quality ramps up.

The Hard-Hit Data Is Real

This is where Martin's case gets compelling. His hard-hit rate has surged from 43.1% over 30 days to 66.7% over the last two weeks. That's a massive jump, and it's paired with exit velocity climbing from 87.2 mph to 93.7 mph at the 14-day mark and holding at 92.0 mph over seven days. That's not a fluke — that's a mechanical or approach adjustment translating into louder contact. Over 34 plate appearances in his last five games, we have a solid enough sample to say the quality-of-contact improvement is meaningful.

Why He's Still Under the Radar

At 3% rostered with a +2% velocity trending upward, Martin is still essentially a free agent in most leagues. Major fantasy outlets like FantasyPros and CBS Sports have his profile pages up, but the broader fantasy community hasn't caught on yet. That's your window. When a player jumps from 1% to 3% in eight days with this kind of underlying data, the ownership curve is about to steepen.

His dual eligibility at 2B and OF adds roster flexibility, which matters on waiver wire pickups. He's not competing with the Jose Altuve tier at second base, but he doesn't need to be — he needs to outperform your worst bench bat or streaming slot, and right now the data says he's doing exactly that.

The Verdict: Watch

Austin Martin is a firm watch. The wOBA trend from .438 to .493, the hard-hit rate nearly doubling over two weeks, and walk rates above 23% across every window — the data is clear. He's not a blind add yet because we want to see the counting stats catch up to the quality-of-contact surge, and the power output (1 HR in 72 PA over 30 days) still needs to materialize more consistently. But WaiverScout identified this signal early, and every data point since has confirmed the trajectory. If you're in a deeper league or need 2B/OF help, move him to the top of your watchlist now. The 97% of managers ignoring him are going to regret it.