Martin confident more complete arsenal of pitches will lead to rise through Cubs organization

KODAK, Tenn. — To get to where he sees himself going, Riley Martin understands the importance of having another pitch in his arsenal.

More specifically, the left-handed hurler needed a pitch to befuddle left-handed hitters.

So this spring, the former Quincy University All-American pitcher and current member of the Chicago Cubs organization took advantage of his time in Arizona to explore the possibility of adding a changeup to his fastball, curveball, slider trio.

The results, so far, have been encouraging.

“I’ve never been able to pronate the ball,” Martin said, referencing the way the ball is held with the thumb and palm pointing downward. “I’m a natural supinator at release. So we worked with a grip that allows me to supinate the changeup, which is kind of the opposite of what you were always taught growing up.

“You always think you pronate the changeup. You want the thumb down. With the grip I’m using, it’s a seam-shifted changeup, which allows me to release it supination so it comes off my middle finger so the wind catches the seam the right way and just kicks it down. It’s pretty cool.”

His first outing for the Double-A Tennessee Smokies showed his entire arsenal works.

Martin pitched one inning last week against the Birmingham Barons, striking out two, walking one and allowing one unearned run. The Smokies followed with a five-run rally in the bottom of the ninth to make Martin the winning pitcher in a 10-9 victory.

Martin threw 30 pitches, 20 for strikes, and induced a ground ball to second base from left-handed hitting Tyler Neslony. It’s against hitters like Neslony where he needs the changeup.

“I feel comfortable with it, and for the first time in a long time, I feel I can go out there and compete with a changeup,” Martin said. “I think it’s going to open up a lot of doors to lefties especially. A lefty-lefty changeup is not something you see a lot, but it’s something I’m able to do right now.

“If I’m able to attack lefties with a changeup that runs into their barrel and a slider that’s big and sweeps away from their barrel, that’s going to be pretty game-changing.”

It certainly enhances his opportunity to eventually make it to the big leagues.

“Last year, I was able to attack guys fastball, curveball, slider and had a lot of success with that,” Martin said. “But as you get to the higher levels, you have to find something to equalize everything. The hitters are just better, more patient. If I throw three or four sliders in a row, they are eventually going to see it.

“It’s something to keep them off that, and it’s been pretty effective here in spring training.”

Martin made significant strides last summer — his first full season in the Cubs organization after being a sixth-round draft pick in 2021. He began the season at Low-A Myrtle Beach, spent a majority of the year at High-A South Bend and pitched in the playoffs for Tennessee.

Overall, he struck out 120 batters in 82 ⅔ innings during the regular season with an 8-5 record and a 3.38 ERA. In the postseason, he went 3-0 with seven strikeouts in eight innings and a 3.38 ERA in five appearances.

It was enough for the Cubs to send him to the Arizona Fall League and make him an early invite to minor league spring training. Now, they have plans for him to eventually work his way to Wrigley Field.

Toward the end of spring training, Martin engaged one of the Cubs’ top brass in the player development office in conversation about how to move up the organizational ladder.

What he heard was encouraging.

“He said, ‘Keep doing what you’ve been doing and keep getting better every single day,’” Martin said. “If I keep putting in the work, good things are going to happen. My stuff’s in a really good spot right now. It’s about going out there and being able to consistently compete every single day. That’s something I pride myself on, just being ready whenever my number is called.

“Never asking for days off. Doing everything I can to get my body prepared to throw every two to three days. As I get higher in the organization, it’s going to be getting my body ready to throw back-to-back days. When you get to the big leagues, you have to be ready to go back-to-back a lot. It’s something I pride myself on being to do.”

The feedback Martin received provided an extra ounce of motivation.

“In my opinion, it’s going to happen,” he said of eventually getting to the big leagues. “I feel like I’m in a great spot. I just have to keep doing what I’ve been doing, keep attacking each day, keep getting better. Like they say, get one percent better every single day. If I do that, I’ll be in a really good spot come the end of the season and heading into next year.”

He already is, and because of that work ethic and commitment, his spot will only get better.