Nick Martínez is having a career year. The right-hander from Miami is off to a spectacular start on the mound and key part of the Tampa Bay Rays’ stupendous start to the season. Martínez is off to such a great start that he has placed himself in the Cy Young conversation nearing mid-season.
In 12 starts the Cuban-American hurler sports a nifty 5-2 record, 2.63 earned run average and a 1.19 WHIP. In 70.2 innings pitched the crafty righty has fanned 42 batters and only walked 14 making him the team’s ace so far on the campaign.
With the All-Star Game in the not-so-distant future the native of South Florida is making a good case for a spot in the game, which would be the first trip to the game in his career and personal highlight for the pitcher in his solid but not spectacular career.
You’re having a career year. What adjustments have you made this year to have such a great start?
Well, I’ve been more aggressive in the zone, especially early in the count. It’s something I did when I got back from Japan, and I lost a little bit of that last year, my last year with Cincinnati, and I was able to get back to it this year and just being really aggressive in the zone early and often has made a difference.
How has it helped us that you only have one role, just as a starter?
Yeah, I mean, I would just say I have just one role for now. I mean, I’ll do whatever it takes to help us win ball games with whatever role. So right now, they need me to start, and that’s what I’m gonna do. You know, if anything changes, they’ll communicate with me and we’ll move forward. But, you know, here, it’s been a lot of fun. The communication’s been great and you know, that plays a part in the success that I’ve had so far.
In a couple of starts, you’ve had another Cuban American catch you, Nick Fortes. Talk to us about how that’s helped and tell us about your camaraderie with him.
Yeah, Forti is great, man. He prepares like crazy, and he communicates really well. He’s able to make adjustments within the game, kind of move off from plan A during the game if he sees something, and then also go back to plan A once we’ve taken them off the scent. Forti does a great job working and preparing and then communicating with us in the dugout, you know, what he sees, what I see, and make it adjustments when we have to make.
You played in Japan with Liván Moinelo, who’s a great starter in his own right, did you pick up anything from him? Did you give him any advice on pitching?
I didn’t give him any advice because I was asking him for advice.He has a great arm, and he has a great fastball and an even better curveball, and so I knew he was always gonna be a great pitcher. Even when he was, you know, younger, I could see that he was a superstar in the making. When I played with him and played against him, he was a reliever. And since I left Japan, he’s been a starter, and he transitioned smoothly into a starting role. And he’s a heck of a pitcher, man. He’s got really, really special stuff.
So you’re in the fight for the Cy Young Award so far. Is that a goal and is making the All-Star Game a goal as well, you know?
No, I wouldn’t say it’s a goal. It’s still really early June, so, you know, we still a long ways from either of those things, and I’m really just focused on winning. You know, I love celebrating after wins with the guys. The celebrations that we have here are a lot of fun. What we do, you know, with the T shirts that we make for each other, having beers with guys, celebrating the small wins. Compiling those wins, and getting to the playoffs is my priority and anything that comes with that, is a great honor. But my focus is just winning ball games.