Roman Martin is crossing off his goals on way to MLB draft
WHITTIER, Calif. (BVM) 鈥� Roman Martin wakes up every morning to see a notecard taped to the ceiling above his bed.
On that notecard, he has all of his baseball goals listed in order of importance. Some of these have already been crossed off, such as representing his country. He did this back in November when he suited up for the United States National Team in Cabo.
But there are still many goals that the Servite High School shortstop wants to cross off. And the No. 47 prospect in this year鈥檚 MLB draft, according to , will have the chance to do just that.
Roman Martin鈥�
— MLB Draft Room (@MLBDraftRoom)
Martin鈥檚 baseball journey began because of his father, who once had a collegiate and pro career of his own. As Martin grew up, he played many sports, but it was America鈥檚 favorite pastime that always stuck with him.
鈥淛ust knowing that my dad played baseball before, it was always what I wanted to do the most,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淚t just kind of inspired me and gave me that passion to keep going.鈥�
Years later, it looks like Martin picked the right sport.
He now stands at 6-foot-2 with a quick bat and good hands for the six. As a junior, he finished the year with a .422 average and a 1.161 OPS. As a senior, he continued to excel on the field with a .481 on-base percentage.
Servite (CA) SS Roman Martin certainly looks the part when talking about a future 1st round pick.
#20 on our initial 2023 Top 150 MLB Draft prospects here at , the commit offers butter-smooth actions at SS with a plus arm and athleticism to stick longterm.
— Ian Smith (@IanSmittyGA)
But this type of play is nothing new for Martin. In fact, he had already shown enough in his middle school days to commit to the University of San Diego before he even got to high school.
It was Martin鈥檚 first offer and he took it. But later on, he realized the decision was a bit premature and would later decommit from the school.
In December of his sophomore year, he announced his commitment to UCLA.
鈥淯CLA stood out a lot with the location and the coaching staff,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淭he program is obviously one of the best in the nation.鈥�
July鈥檚 MLB draft will present Martin with a decision to make, but with him already setting himself up with a win-win scenario, the pressure of the moment is eased.
鈥淎t the end of the day, that is what I鈥檝e worked practically my entire life for,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淚鈥檓 totally fine signing or not signing because I know that I have a great education and a great three years at UCLA waiting for me.鈥�
As Martin finished his high school career, he was aware of the expectation. With every at-bat and every ground ball, he had the eyes of everyone. And he knew there was a target on his back.
Roman Martin IV (23 CA) laces a pair of singles this afternoon. Good body with fluid actions and the body projects.
— Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting)
鈥淓veryone is gonna give you their best. And that can only make myself better,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淚 just trust the preparation I put in before and I know that I鈥檓 prepared. That eases that stress.鈥�
The Servite season is over and Martin will soon be in the full swing of the draft process as it gets closer. The next couple of months will likely feel like an eternity for the star shortstop, but he will still lay his head down on the same pillow every night and look at the same notecard.聽
The goals near the bottom of it are to get drafted, make it to the major leagues and stay in the major leagues.聽
Once he accomplishes these, it will be time to flip over the card and jot down new aspirations.
