It doesn’t matter that Maryland third baseman Brayden Martin is 11 years older than his brothers Jett and Dash. When Martin faces off against the twins, he’s winning.
“I win every time,” he said. “They need to learn how to lose. And then I let them win, but most of the time I just win.”
That same competitive edge is what the Toronto Blue Jays are betting on.
Selected in the 11th round of the MLB draft, Martin enters professional baseball without overwhelming power. Instead, he has built his game around strong plate discipline, defensive versatility and in finding ways to win.
“The No. 1 thing is his elite eye. It’s one of the best I’ve ever seen since LaMonte Wade [Jr.],” said Maryland head coach Matt Swope, referring to the Houston Astros outfielder in his eighth big league season.
Martin’s approach made him one of the Big Ten’s toughest outs this year. The Bowie native earned first-team all-conference honors after leading Maryland in on-base percentage (.488) and finishing as the conference leader in walks (56).
Although he arrived at Maryland as a shortstop, Martin embraced a utility role with the Terps, spending time at third base, second base and all three outfield positions. For Swope, that combination of plate discipline and defensive versatility is what gives Martin a chance to climb quickly through professional baseball.
Martin’s offensive philosophy runs counter to many of baseball’s modern trends. While player development increasingly emphasizes exit velocity, launch angle and bat speed, he has always focused on making good swing decisions.
As a sophomore, in 2025, he hit .319 with 59 walks and just 24 strikeouts in 56 games. But he had only seven extra-base hits, five doubles and two homers.
This season, he increased the doubles to 13 and added a triple, and he continued to display a good batting eye with only 20 strikeouts in 56 games. But his homer total stuck at two.
“He doesn’t care how hard he hits the ball,” Swope said. “He’s just concerned with trying to get on base and help the team win.”
Rather than overhauling Martin’s mechanics, Maryland’s coaching staff reinforced what made him successful.
Martin became so dependable that Swope stopped giving him signs during games.
“We’d just make eye contact,” Swope said. “We were always on the same page.”
Even after becoming one of Maryland’s top players, Martin never seriously considered leaving — a decision that stood out to Swope in a sport increasingly shaped by the transfer portal.
Just one year earlier, former Maryland infielder Chris Hacopian transferred to Texas A&M before becoming the first-round pick of the Washington Nationals in this year’s draft. And, following this season, 24 Maryland players entered the portal when it opened in June.
“I know I could have went other places or done other things, but I like the coaches here,” Martin said. “Obviously, there could be more money somewhere else, but that’s not really what I’ve been chasing. It’s just been playing time and trying to win.”
That same competitive drive that kept Martin in College Park now sends him to Toronto, where he will begin the next chapter of his career.
The climb through the minor leagues often takes years, but Martin is prepared for the challenge and his goal is unchanged.
“I’m ready to play as many games as I need to,” he said. “I want to play until I’m 40. I don’t really want to do anything else.”
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