Yankees prospect Martin wins Fall League Home Run Derby

MESA, Ariz. -- Home run prowess from slugging outfielders has become commonplace for Yankees fans at the big league level over the past few seasons. Prospect Garrett Martin etched out his own homer lore with a scintillating final round that earned him 2024 Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby winner honors on Friday night.

But the fact that the Yankees’ outfield prospect was even present at Sloan Park? That’s a product of 2023 champ, Twins No. 19 prospect Kala’i Rosario, his teammate with the Salt River Rafters this fall. Rosario was asked back to defend his crown, and he agreed, but with a caveat: His good buddy Martin had to join him.

“We kind of have a little Home Run Derby every day before the game just between the two of us,” Martin said of Rosario. “Getting to do it on this stage is pretty cool.”

Martin drilled 10 homers in the final 90-second round to topple Brewers No. 8 prospect Brock Wilken, who made the bold choice to go first in their showdown. The 24-year-old Martin had just four homers with 47 seconds remaining, and trailing by five round-trippers, he chose to take his timeout to catch his breath and refocus. He homered on his next two swings before reeling off a homer flurry that sent him to the winner’s circle.

“Let it eat,” Martin said of his strategy. “Just hit balls as hard as I could over the fence.”

Flash back to 2008 when the Rangers’ Josh Hamilton put on a prodigious home run frenzy at the MLB Home Run Derby but ultimately fell short of the final prize. While Martin’s late theatrics sealed his place in the Fall League history books, Wilken put on a show reminiscent of Hamilton’s in his own right.

The first batter of the night to dig in, Wilken set a record by hammering 14 home runs, the most in any single round over the Derby’s three-year history. Powered by some recent dad strength at the hands of his newborn son, the Brewers’ 2023 first-round pick led all Derby participants with 33 homers across his two preliminary rounds and the championship format -- taking his dad, Josh, who served as his pitcher, deep in the process.

“That was a cool moment to share with him. It was pretty special,” Wilken said. “Not many people get to do that -- and get to do this in general -- so being able to do it with him was really special.”

After that record-setting performance, Wilken had quite the layoff as the other competitors swung for the fences. So he warmed up by nuzzling his newborn, Caden Knox, in between rounds.

“I needed it,” Wilken said, laughing. “That’s my good-luck charm over there. Having my family in the stands, it’s awesome. Such a pleasure and an honor to be here.”

Selected in the 22nd round of the 2018 Draft by the Orioles out of a Colorado high school, Martin chose to go the collegiate route, which turned out to be a circuitous journey. Stops at Oklahoma State, McLennan Community College (Waco, Texas) and Austin Peay State, as well as a stint in the MLB Draft League, didn’t materialize in another Draft selection. But shortly after the 2023 Draft, the Yankees came calling with an undrafted free agent offer.

Martin has gotten to show off the power he boasts in his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame with a full season under his belt, going deep 14 times for High-A Hudson Valley this year. He has added four more round-trippers for Salt River in the Fall League, a valuable chance to improve his prospect profile heading into 2025 and beyond.

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“I was really excited to even get the opportunity to come and do this and get to be in the Fall League in general,” Martin said. “Then to be part of the Home Run Derby was even more special for me.”

Despite temps that consistently dipped into the 50s throughout the night, the ball was still flying with rapidity throughout the contest. Players combined to slug 116 homers, dotting the left- and right-field berms with ample souvenirs for the young fans happy to track them down.

The two-round totals for the other six participants were as follows:

Kala'i Rosario (MIN No. 19): 15
Jac Caglianone (KC No. 1): 14
Moises Ballesteros (CHC No. 4): 8
Peyton Williams (Blue Jays): 8
Carter Jensen (KC No. 5): 7
Josue Briceño (DET No. 9): 5

MLB.com’s Kelsie Heneghan contributed to this story.