Seth Martínez looked very sharp in his time with the Astros last season. In 29 games and 38 ⅔ innings of work the righty posted an ERA of 2.09. The 28 year old Mexican -American also struck 38 batters during that time and his WHIP of 1.03 was sterling.
Martínez projects to be a long reliever and maybe even a spot starter this season for Houston. Due to his three quarters delivery the Rule 5 pick from Oakland in 2020 is a tough match up for most big league hitters.
What he lacks in velocity he makes up for in craftiness and deceptiveness. Our Javier González spoke with the pitcher prior to a game in the season’s first series and they conversed about an array of topics. Below I leave you the interview with Martínez.
Ayer tuve la oportunidad de conversar con el lanzador Seth Martinez, quien calladamente ha sido uno de los relevistas más efectivos de Houston desde el pasado año (2.04 ERA).
— Javier Gonzalez (@Astros_Coverage) April 2, 2023
Tocó varios temas de interés: recibimiento del anillo, sus metas para 2023, relaciones con cubanos y más. pic.twitter.com/bvGcPJ4coQ
First of all Seth, thank you for the interview?
Of course and thank you as well.
How do you feel yesterday at the ring ceremony?
Well the ring ceremony was awesome, not many people get to have that experience. You know we had a full stadium here yesterday and just getting the ring, which kind of weighed the hand down by the way was great. I’m just super honored to have that privilege.
How does it feel to be back in the majors?
It feels great, it’s always great to be here. I knew coming into the spring I had to fight for a position and I think I earned my spot here. We have a great team again, basically the same roster as last year and we have one goal in mind , that’s to go back to back.
Do you have any specific goals for the year?
Yes, I think I want to continue doing what I did last year. I think I was pretty solid during my time here, but I would like to get in more leverage innings this year. I know we have a competitive bullpen and I understand we all have our roles, but basically I just want to help the team out in the best way possible. I want to help us continue our success with every opportunity I get.
How is your relationship with the Cuban players on the team?
Yes we have a few Cubans and they are all great people. Their Spanish is very hard to understand, because they speak very fast (chuckles), but seriously everyone is super cool. We acquired José Abreu during the offseason, he was a great addition. He’s a very good first baseman with a lot of power. The Cubans on the team are all super people.