Bakersfield, California high school left-handed pitcher Jarret Martin entered the year as one of the more promising young lefties in all of amateur baseball. He was most impressive at last summer’s Area Code Games, quickly making a strong impression on such a large, national stage by showing advanced command of a solid three-pitch arsenal that includes an 88-92 mph fastball and a very sharp curveball.

Unfortunately things haven’t gone as well for Martin this spring. It’s not like the talent has disappeared, as he has retained his usual velocity on his fastball and the break on his curveball, but he has struggled with his mechanics, which has led to him struggling with his command. Scouts started to lose interest in Martin as a premium, early round pick, but his prowess with a bat in his hand has started to draw the scouting contingent back to his games, as he recently broke his conference’s home run record.

While Martin takes full responsibility for his struggles this spring, he is also quick to point out that he has a promising baseball career ahead of him at Cal State Fullerton as a potential two-way standout should he not pursue professional baseball as early as this summer.

I spoke to Martin about his pitching mechanics, his success this spring at the plate and his future aspirations playing the great game of baseball.

Perfect Game Crosschecker: You really seemed to burst onto the national scene last summer with your performance at the Area Code Games, without too much previous participation at more prominent showcase and tournament events. Can you talk about that experience and how much it helped you grow as a player?

JM: I did the Area Codes (tryouts) as a freshman and as a sophomore. I didn’t make the team as a freshman, but made the team as a pitcher the next year. I was committed to come back last summer knowing that the Area Codes Games were one of the biggest showcases out here. I also played at the Cape Cod Classic and then in Jupiter and then I got on a couple of scout teams.

The experience really shows what kind of player you are. As a hitter you face the best pitchers in the nation, and as a pitcher you face the best hitters in the nation. If you can go out and do a pretty good job you know you’ve had a really successful day.

PGCC: What are some of the things you do to prepare not only physically but mentally for such an event that obviously is swarming with scouts and college recruiters?

JM: Some kids might get nervous, but I actually perform better under pressure. I love getting in the big games, and during those showcases I just prepare myself the night before; get a good night’s sleep, eat a good breakfast the morning of (etc.). Then I just go out there and do my best.

PGCC: Speaking of that, how difficult is it for you to focus on your senior year in high school with the amount of attention you receive on the baseball field?

JM: I’m doing fine in school. I’m struggling more with the pitching aspect of my game more than I am with hitting or my social life or school. I’m just having an off-year, it hasn’t gone the way I hoped, but I’m working at it and keeping it going the best I can.

PGCC: Is there anything in particular that you’re struggling with, whether it be a lack of velocity, command or a combination of both?

JM: The velocity is there. It’s been there since last summer. This last summer when I was pitching for the Area Code Games I got to work every day with John Bushart from Pierce College--he was our Area Codes Brewers pitching coach--while also focusing on pitching and not having to worry about stepping up to the plate. With the games and the practices, he really had me dialed-in to my mechanics, and that has slipped away since. I feel I need to stay with a good pitching coach to get me back on track.

PGCC: It doesn’t seem as though you’re slumping at the plate having recently broken a sectional record for home runs. Do you have a preference for either pitching or hitting?

JM: I’ve committed to (Cal State) Fullerton, and they want me as both a hitter and as a pitcher. I’ve always thought, though, among all this publicity, that some day I’m going to be a Major League left-handed pitcher. But I’m just seeing the ball really well right now and I’m tearing it up with the bat, leading the nation in home runs. I think I’m under the radar as far as my bat is concerned and feel that is another part of my game the scouts might take a look at.

PGCC: What led you to deciding to commit to Cal State Fullerton, other than their outstanding reputation as a baseball program?

JM: I initially committed to UC Irvine, but I was dead-set with those coaches: (Recruiting coordinator) Sergio Brown and of course (Head Coach, Dave) Serrano. I went to a junior day event so-to-speak and attended an Irvine game where I got to talk to a bunch of their coaches. Their crowd and coaching staff in my mind sets them apart from all of the other teams.

PGCC: Pitching in California you’re well aware of the talent that is out there. Are there any players in your area that are in a similar situation to you that you can commiserate with given your struggles to try and help yourself get back on track?

JM: I have my teammates of course, on the Dodgers and Angels Elite teams and the Area Code teams, and you become very good friends with them and you see them at every big showcase. I don’t really get to talk to many since I’m somewhat alone here in Bakersfield, and most of the big-time players are down South, so I don’t really get to talk much with the guys I do know, so it’s difficult for me right now to get that kind of advice.

PGCC: Could you please share with us what kind of pitcher you are, what you throw and how you record the majority of your outs?

JM: I have a powerful fastball for a lefty. I can throw up to 93, 94. I live 89 to 91, but I really have a sharp curveball, which has been my best pitch, my strikeout pitch, lately. I have a pretty good changeup that throws off the hitter and gets them off balance. So I’m kind of an in between guy (power and finesse).

PGCC: Since you mentioned the situation with finding the right fit with a pitching coach earlier, would you say that lasting success is simply a matter of refining your mechanics?

JM: Definitely. It’s the easiest fix for me. I’ve had several people tell me that I just have a little adjustment to make. When I go down to get a little pitching lesson—I have to drive down two hours, which I don’t get to do very often—it takes a 30 minute bullpen before I’m throwing heat right down the middle. When I get home the muscle memory just isn’t there.

PGCC: What traits overall do you feel are the most important to be successful as an athlete?

JM: I think it’s mostly your reputation. You have to be a good person, you can’t be cocky or show anyone up. You have to have a good head on your shoulders and be classy. That’s what it is for me. I’m not out looking for trouble and I never show up a player or a coach. I just go out and do what I have do and play the way I was born to play.

PGCC: Given that response, does it increase your importance to do the things that you do on and off the field given the increasing number of bad things you read and hear professional athletes being involved with?

JM: Definitely. I am very strict on what I do and what I allow around me. I’m not the type that after a Friday night game I’m going to go party. I’ll hang out with my friends, go to the movies, or play a little xBox.

PGCC: Would you care to share with us the amount of attention you are receiving from scouts, and do you have somewhat of a sense as to where you might go in regards to the draft?

JM: After the summer I had I was feeling pretty confident about my ability and I was throwing the ball where I wanted to throw it, and of course I’m a left-handed pitcher. So I had a ton of scouts contacting me, with a phone call almost every night, and it was even crazier with the college recruiters. This spring just hasn’t gone my way, and I haven’t put my best foot forward with my mechanics and with my ability in the way I know how to pitch. I take full responsibility for my struggles, but the attention started to slow due to my inconsistency, but it has started to pick up recently because my hitting is just off the charts right now, and scouts are starting to question my hitting over my pitching.

PGCC: I always give the people I speak with the opportunity to get the final word in, so the floor is now yours.

JM: You’ve got to dream big and keep fighting for it and you have to fight for where you want to go in life. Don’t let anything get in your way, and don’t let a bad reputation or the company you keep get in your way. You have to keep moving forward and make sacrifices to get what you want and to get to where your dream is.

Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and Brewerfan.net, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.