While the current Texas Tech baseball team entered this past weekend needing a series win over BYU, which they did pick up, another former Red Raider baseball player is gaining major attention in Major League Baseball. On Sunday, White Socks pitched Davis Martin, who only allowed one earned run in a six-inning outing, while striking out nine in a 2-1 victory for Chicago.
It was his eighth start of the season, and he has a sterling 5-1 record in 2026 (tied for fourth in all of baseball). Martin was drafted by the White Sox with the 408th overall pick in the 14th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft. The history of the MLB draft doesn’t show many Hall of Fame names out of the 14th round, but Martin’s start could send him off on that trajectory.
Slow Start For Martin
He made his MLB debut back in 2022. Martin appeared in 14 games, with nine starts. On a very mediocre team, his 3-6 record with a 4.83 ERA was on par for the course for a White Socks team that went 81-81 that season. His 2024 season also included a mixed bag of relief and starts without any noteworthy stats.
Last season, Martin became a full-time starter with the team on the south side of Chicago. He appeared in 26 games, all but one of which were starts. However, the record didn’t improve much (7-10), and the ERA was still above 4. All three seasons, he averaged a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2-2.5. His WHIP also hovered around 1.29-1.46.
Much-deserved Cy Young buzz with this start
We already mentioned Martin’s W-L record, but the individual stats have all taken significant jumps compared to his first few seasons. He currently boasts a 1.62 ERA (2nd in the American League), a WHIP of 1.00 (15th best), and 52 strikeouts (tied for 14th). In every one of his eight starts, Martin has pitched at least five innings. His 50 innings on the season are tied for the 7th most in the American League. He has only given up more than 2 earned runs in one start. Martin’s strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2026 is 5.2 (tied for 5th in the AL). If the White Sox end a five-year playoff drought this season, Martin will have played a major role in it.
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This article originally appeared on Red Raiders Wire: Former Red Raider Davis Martin gaining early season Cy Young Buzz
Reporting by Andrew McCleary, Red Raiders Wire / Red Raiders Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
