After battling back from Tommy John surgery, Davis Martin made just 11 appearances for the White Sox last season but when he returned, he looked like a completely different pitcher.
The 28-year-old right-hander saw his strikeout rate climb from 17.8% to 21.4%, while also generating a 46.9% ground ball rate placing him among the top 25th percentile in MLB.
This spring, Martin has picked up right where he left off, delivering two flawless innings against the Dodgers, including strikeouts of Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernández, and Max Muncy. A key to his success? A newly developed “kick changeup,” which helped him win a nine-pitch battle against Muncy.
The pitch has been a game-changer, especially against left-handed hitters. Thrown at 90 mph just four mph slower than his four-seam fastball its sharp, late-breaking action and 33 inches of drop make it behave almost like a spitter.
In a conversation with CHGO’s Chuck Garfein, Martin described the pitch as a “godsend” following surgery. As a natural “supinator,” he tends to rotate his forearm outward during his throwing motion, which made it difficult to get inside the ball. Post-surgery, this could have placed more stress on his forearm due to the increased inward rotation required for certain pitches.
To adjust, Martin developed a new grip holding his “kick change” with a two-seam grip using his middle and ring fingers. His middle finger is the last to leave the ball, altering its axis and creating a unique sideways spin as it dives toward the plate.
The results speak for themselves. Left-handed hitters have a career .266 batting average against him, but last season that number dipped to .257, even in a limited 50-inning sample.
After a dominant outing against a star-studded Dodgers lineup, Martin’s confidence is soaring.
“It’s the best in the world,” Martin said after his performance. “They won the World Series last year, and in that first inning, I’m thinking, ‘Here come the 2024 World Series Champions.’ You just go, ‘Let’s go. This is the best.’”
With a 4.32 ERA in 11 starts last season, Martin is making a strong case to be the White Sox Opening Day starter especially in a rotation filled with young arms.
Signed to a one-year, $800,000 contract, Martin remains arbitration-eligible for the next two seasons. His affordable deal makes him a prime trade candidate for GM Chris Getz, should the White Sox look to accelerate their rebuild. Given how valuable pitching becomes at the trade deadline, a strong first half could make Martin a hot commodity, potentially bringing Chicago a solid return.
