Top 50 Prospects: #32 – Starling Marte | The Golden Sombrero Baseball Blog | MLB, Fantasy, College & High School Baseball News

Top 50 Prospects: #32 – Starling Marte

#32 Starling Marte

Pittsburgh Pirates

DOB: 10/9/1988

Previous Rank: N/R

ETA: 2012

Marte has four plus tools and an average one, but he lacks the discipline in the box to be ranked as high as other elite hitters with similar skill sets.  We at The Sombrero treat strike-zone judgment about as seriously as we treat the hit tool itself, and Marte appears to have very little of it.  That said, he posted a tremendously impressive .332/.370/.500 slash line with 24 stolen bases and nearly 60 hits for extra bases in the Eastern League.  He only worked 22 walks in over 560 plate appearances, and, while his ability to lay off secondary stuff improved as the year progressed, he still has a long way to go before he is able to differentiate balls and strikes or square strikes up with secondary offerings.

Year Age Tm Lg Lev G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BA
2007 18 Pirates DOSL FRk 45 156 132 27 29 4 1 1 11 16 2 .220
2008 19 Pirates DOSL FRk 65 293 257 53 76 10 2 9 44 20 8 .296
2009 20 3 Teams 3 Lgs A-Rk-A+ 57 256 230 42 71 9 5 3 35 24 7 .309
2009 20 Pirates GULF Rk 2 7 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2009 20 West Virginia SALL A 54 247 221 41 69 9 5 3 34 24 7 .312
2009 20 Lynchburg CARL A+ 1 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 1.000
2010 21 2 Teams 2 Lgs A+-Rk 68 281 248 47 79 19 5 2 38 26 9 .319
2010 21 Pirates GULF Rk 8 28 26 6 9 3 0 2 5 4 1 .346
2010 21 Bradenton FLOR A+ 60 253 222 41 70 16 5 0 33 22 8 .315
2011 22 Altoona EL AA 129 572 536 91 178 38 8 12 50 24 12 .332
5 Seasons 364 1558 1403 260 433 80 21 27 178 110 38 .309
FRk (2 seasons) FRk 110 449 389 80 105 14 3 10 55 36 10 .270
Rk (2 seasons) Rk 10 35 33 7 9 3 0 2 5 4 1 .273
A+ (2 seasons) A+ 61 255 224 41 72 16 5 0 34 22 8 .321
A (1 season) A 54 247 221 41 69 9 5 3 34 24 7 .312
AA (1 season) AA 129 572 536 91 178 38 8 12 50 24 12 .332
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/1/2011.
Year Age Tm Lg Lev G PA AB HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB
2007 18 Pirates DOSL FRk 45 156 132 1 11 10 29 .220 .307 .288 .595 38
2008 19 Pirates DOSL FRk 65 293 257 9 44 16 53 .296 .367 .455 .822 117
2009 20 3 Teams 3 Lgs A-Rk-A+ 57 256 230 3 35 12 56 .309 .371 .430 .802 99
2009 20 Pirates GULF Rk 2 7 7 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0
2009 20 West Virginia SALL A 54 247 221 3 34 12 55 .312 .377 .439 .815 97
2009 20 Lynchburg CARL A+ 1 2 2 0 1 0 0 1.000 1.000 1.000 2.000 2
2010 21 2 Teams 2 Lgs A+-Rk 68 281 248 2 38 13 65 .319 .387 .460 .847 114
2010 21 Pirates GULF Rk 8 28 26 2 5 1 6 .346 .393 .692 1.085 18
2010 21 Bradenton FLOR A+ 60 253 222 0 33 12 59 .315 .386 .432 .819 96
2011 22 Altoona EL AA 129 572 536 12 50 22 100 .332 .370 .500 .870 268
5 Seasons 364 1558 1403 27 178 73 303 .309 .366 .453 .820 636
FRk (2 seasons) FRk 110 449 389 10 55 26 82 .270 .346 .398 .745 155
Rk (2 seasons) Rk 10 35 33 2 5 1 7 .273 .314 .545 .860 18
A+ (2 seasons) A+ 61 255 224 0 34 12 59 .321 .391 .438 .829 98
A (1 season) A 54 247 221 3 34 12 55 .312 .377 .439 .815 97
AA (1 season) AA 129 572 536 12 50 22 100 .332 .370 .500 .870 268
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/1/2011.
Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff G Ch PO A E Fld% RF/G
2007 18 Pirates DOSL FRk PIT RF 3 2 2 0 0 1.000 0.67
2007 18 Pirates DOSL FRk PIT OF 37 38 34 2 2 .947 0.97
2007 18 Pirates DOSL FRk PIT LF 35 36 32 2 2 .944 0.97
2007 18 Pirates DOSL FRk PIT CF 1 0 0 0 0 0.00
2008 19 Pirates DOSL FRk PIT CF 40 86 74 8 4 .953 2.05
2008 19 Pirates DOSL FRk PIT RF 21 34 29 3 2 .941 1.52
2008 19 Pirates DOSL FRk PIT LF 7 8 7 0 1 .875 1.00
2009 20 3 Teams 3 Lgs A-Rk-A+ PIT CF 38 87 80 3 4 .954 2.18
2009 20 2 Teams 2 Lgs A-Rk PIT RF 20 63 57 3 3 .952 3.00
2009 20 Pirates GULF Rk PIT RF 1 6 6 0 0 1.000 6.00
2009 20 Pirates GULF Rk PIT CF 1 3 2 1 0 1.000 3.00
2009 20 West Virginia SALL A PIT RF 19 57 51 3 3 .947 2.84
2009 20 West Virginia SALL A PIT CF 36 83 77 2 4 .952 2.19
2009 20 Lynchburg CARL A+ PIT CF 1 1 1 0 0 1.000 1.00
2010 21 2 Teams 2 Lgs A+-Rk PIT CF 57 133 117 9 7 .947 2.21
2010 21 Pirates GULF Rk PIT CF 7 17 16 0 1 .941 2.29
2010 21 Bradenton FLOR A+ PIT RF 2 4 4 0 0 1.000 2.00
2010 21 Bradenton FLOR A+ PIT CF 50 116 101 9 6 .948 2.20
2011 22 Altoona EL AA PIT CF 129 334 308 18 8 .976 2.53
2011 22 Altoona EL AA PIT OF 129 334 308 18 8 .976 2.53
5 Seasons 351 787 710 46 31 .961 2.15
CF (5 seasons) CF 265 640 579 38 23 .964 2.33
RF (4 seasons) RF 46 103 92 6 5 .951 2.13
LF (2 seasons) LF 42 44 39 2 3 .932 0.98
OF (2 seasons) OF 166 372 342 20 10 .973 2.18
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/1/2011.

He is a terrific runner who will eventually move Andrew McCutchen to a corner spot.  His arm will be plus in center and is quite accurate with good carry.  He squares fastballs up as well as anyone in the Minors today and has the legs to beat out several grounders per year.  His power is behind his other tools, but it is at least in the “gap” category now with likely more to come as he matures.

Considering that Marte had a terrific season in Double-A as a 22-year-old, the future is looking very bright in the Pirate outfield.  Marte plays the game very hard and gets great marks for his makeup too.  We expect to see Marte at PNC in 2012, but it hopefully comes after several hundred at-bats in Triple-A first.


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