Former Southridge standout Mason Martin named GCL MVP

Mason Martin was eating dinner Friday night when he got a phone call letting him know he was named the Gulf Coast League MVP.

“I was super excited,” said Martin, who graduated from Southridge High School in June. “I was ecstatic. My first professional season; it shows the work I have put in. I’m really thankful for the opportunity. I got here late, but you gotta do what you gotta do.”

Thursday, Martin set the GCL Pirates single-season record with 11 homers, breaking the mark set by Walter Young in 2000. The 11 home runs also leads the GCL.

With one game remaining in the season, Martin has a .304 batting average, with 38 hits, eight doubles, 22 RBIs and 37 runs scored (third in GCL) in 38 games. He also ranks second in the league in on base percentage (OBP) .450, and leads the league in OPS at 1.082, the third highest in GCL history, which dates to 1966.

“That is super awesome,” Martin said of his OPS being third best in league history. “I try not to look at the stats too much. I have to thank God for giving me the ability to do this. I’m just out here having fun.”

Martin, a 17th-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates this spring, played first base in Friday’s 3-2 loss to the GCL Yankees East. He went 0-for-3, but almost sent another ball out of the stadium.

“I hit one to left-center and I thought it was gone,” he said. “It stopped just short of the fence and they caught it. Their outfielders were playing deep.”

This story was originally published September 1, 2017 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Former Southridge standout Mason Martin named GCL MVP."