Nathan Martorella
1B | Bats/Throws: L/L | 6' 0" 224LBS | Age: 23
Draft: 2022 | Rd: 5, #150, San Diego Padres | California
MLB Pipeline Rank
PA AB R H HR SB AVG OBP SLG OPS
2024 527 467 64 107 18 8 .229 .306 .385 .691
Career Minors 1,216 1,044 161 260 40 13 .249 .342 .420 .762
AVG HR SB OPS
2024 .229 18 8 .691
Career Minors .249 40 13 .762

Standard Minor League Batting Statistics

SeasonTmLGLGPAABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSOSBCSHBPAVGOBPSLGOPS
2022 2 Teams Minors 28 107 90 14 29 8 0 3 21 16 21 0 0 0 .322 .421 .511 .932
2022 ACL Padres ACL ROK 11 35 31 4 12 4 0 1 10 4 6 0 0 0 .387 .457 .613 1.070
2022 Lake Elsinore Storm CAL A 17 72 59 10 17 4 0 2 11 12 15 0 0 0 .288 .403 .458 .861
2023 2 Teams Minors 135 582 487 83 124 30 1 19 88 82 101 5 3 4 .255 .361 .437 .798
2023 Fort Wayne TinCaps MID A+ 112 483 398 71 103 26 1 16 73 73 87 5 3 3 .259 .371 .450 .821
2023 San Antonio Missions TEX AA 23 99 89 12 21 4 0 3 15 9 14 0 0 1 .236 .313 .382 .695
2024 2 Teams Minors 127 527 467 64 107 17 1 18 55 49 96 8 0 5 .229 .306 .385 .691
2024 San Antonio Missions TEX AA 25 107 89 18 26 6 0 2 14 16 17 3 0 0 .292 .393 .427 .820
2024 Pensacola Blue Wahoos SOU AA 102 420 378 46 81 11 1 16 41 33 79 5 0 5 .214 .283 .376 .659
2024 2 Teams AA 127 527 467 64 107 17 1 18 55 49 96 8 0 5 .229 .306 .385 .691

Scouting Report

draft

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 45 | Overall: 40

Martorella was a late-round pick in 2019 out of Salinas High School in the Monterey, Calif., area, a school that has produced one big leaguer in Xavier Nady, who went on to college before beginning his pro career. Martorella, who has been in Cal’s starting lineup since he got there in 2020, is hoping to parlay an all Pac-12 season this spring into following in Nady’s footsteps.

A left-handed hitter, Martorella is a strength-over-bat speed kind of hitter, one who really started to use that strength more effectively as the year went on. He showed considerable patience at the plate and walked more than he struck out for the year, striking out just 10.7 percent of the time. He led the Pac-12 with his .388 average in conference play while hitting eight of his 11 homers in conference, mostly to the pull side. He absolutely punishes fastballs, struggling more against breaking and offspeed stuff.

Martorella is going to have to hit to advance at the next level because he’s limited defensively. He’s a first baseman only, with some thinking time at DH might be in his future. Teams who feel his power discovery and willingness to lift the ball more are legit this year might take a chance on his left-handed bat.


2024

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 40 | Overall: 45

Martorella used a breakout final season at California, batting .333 with a career-best 11 homers, to propel himself to the Padres in the fifth round of the 2022 Draft. He hit well in High-A during his first full pro season but slumped once he got to Double-A late in the year and has struggled even more there in 2024. His numbers took a further downturn after he moved to the Marlins as part of the Luis Arraez trade in May.

When Martorella is having success at the plate, he controls the strike zone and translates his strength into average power. But since he arrived in Double-A, pitchers have exploited his ordinary bat speed, and he has had trouble turning on pitches or hitting them with much authority. The left-handed hitter isn't generating much pop, especially against southpaws.

Despite his well-below-average speed, Martorella can catch defenses napping and steal an occasional base. His limited athleticism produces little defensive value, as he's a subpar defender and lacks range at first base. His average arm strength has led to some time in left field, but he doesn't cover enough ground to play there in the Majors.


2023

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

A three-year starter at Cal, Martorella broke out at the right time in his final season in Berkeley, slashing .333/.424/.511 with a career-high 11 homers and an impressive 29/34 K/BB ratio over 55 games. That performance helped him capture All-Pac-12 honors, and he stayed in the Golden State by going to the Padres in the fifth round and signing for below slot at $325,000. Martorella didn’t stop hitting in the pros either, finishing with a .322 average and a .932 OPS in 28 games between the Arizona Complex and California Leagues.

Martorella relies much more on his strength than his bat speed from the left side to generate his pop, and he did a better job of playing to that in his breakout 2022 campaign. He’s certainly patient enough to wait for his pitch, posting high walk rates that carried over into his early pro looks. Martorella bats from a wide stance with a minimal load, which led to high groundball rates in the Minors, so he may need to adjust to find better ways to make use of his average power.

Many evaluators believed the former Golden Bear would be stuck to first base in pro ball, but the Padres gave him some opportunities in the corner outfield spots with Lake Elsinore. Even though he's gotten more looks in left in 2023, his well-below-average speed should keep him at the cold corner. There are enough interesting pieces in Martorella’s profile to make him an intriguing prospect even at a position with a high offensive bar.


2022

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 45 | Overall: 40

Martorella was a late-round pick in 2019 out of Salinas High School in the Monterey, Calif., area but went on to college before beginning his pro career. He was in Cal’s starting lineup during all three years on campus and was an All-Pac-12 selection after hitting .333/.424/.553 with 11 homers in 55 games this spring. San Diego selected him in the fifth round and signed him for slightly below slot at $325,000.

A left-handed hitter, Martorella is a strength-over-bat speed kind of hitter, one who really started to use that strength more effectively as his junior year went on. He showed considerable patience at the plate and walked more than he struck out for the year, striking out just 10.7 percent of the time. He led the Pac-12 with his .388 average in conference play while hitting eight of his 11 homers in conference, mostly to the pull side. He absolutely punishes fastballs, struggling more against breaking and offspeed stuff.

Martorella is going to have to hit to advance at the pro level because he’s limited defensively. He’s a first baseman only, with some thinking time at DH might be in his future. That said, he becomes the best first-base prospect in San Diego's system, and he’ll climb as quickly as his bat will allow.



Awards




Transactions

Team Date Transaction
05/07/2024 Pensacola Blue Wahoos activated 1B Nathan Martorella.
05/04/2024 Miami Marlins traded 2B Luis Arraez to San Diego Padres for OF Dillon Head, OF Jakob Marsee, RHP Woo-Suk Go and 1B Nathan Martorella.
05/04/2024 1B Nathan Martorella assigned to Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
03/07/2024 San Diego Padres Prospects activated 1B Nathan Martorella.
02/22/2024 San Diego Padres invited non-roster 1B Nathan Martorella to spring training.
09/22/2023 Peoria Javelinas activated 1B Nathan Martorella.
08/22/2023 1B Nathan Martorella assigned to San Antonio Missions from Fort Wayne TinCaps.
08/22/2023 San Antonio Missions activated 1B Nathan Martorella.
08/22/2023 San Antonio Missions activated 1B Nathan Martorella.
03/28/2023 1B Nathan Martorella assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from Lake Elsinore Storm.
03/04/2023 1B Nathan Martorella assigned to San Diego Padres.
03/04/2023 1B Nathan Martorella roster status changed by San Diego Padres.
08/22/2022 1B Nathan Martorella assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from ACL Padres.
08/22/2022 Lake Elsinore Storm activated 1B Nathan Martorella.
08/04/2022 1B Nathan Martorella assigned to ACL Padres.
08/01/2022 San Diego Padres signed 1B Nathan Martorella.
06/07/2022 1B Nathan Martorella assigned to College Workout.
06/07/2022 College Workout activated 1B Nathan Martorella.
02/09/2022 1B Nathan Martorella and assigned to California Golden Bears.