By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

JUPITER, FL—Sunday in Jupiter marked the beginning of the playoffs of the World Wood Bat Championship with the Round of 32 kicking off at 8 a.m. After spending the first three days chasing pitchers, I used my last one to collect at-bats on guys I missed or wanted another look at. Early in the event, several scouts asked if I had seen a certain shortstop from Florida yet. SS Austin Martin (Trinity Christian Academy, FL) was creating some buzz—after standing out at the Florida Diamond Club showcase last weekend—so I made sure to catch at least one of his games. He didn’t do anything major, but I caught a glimpse of the actions and athleticism he possesses in his wiry, 6-foot, 170-pound frame. His hands work well at shortstop and he moves easily, though he could benefit from added arm strength. At the plate, he has a quick, loose swing and line-drive path. He was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and two strikeouts in the game and went 4-for-14 in five games with three runs scored and five RBIs.

Also in that game was OF Heliot Ramos (Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy, PR), who was 0-for-1 with a walk and sacrifice fly. Ramos is a free swinger, but has strength and can drive the baseball with authority.

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