Nick Martinez reminds that he can be a starter with a perfect performance vs. the Dodgers

GLENDALE, Ariz. –– Before the Cincinnati Reds faced the best lineup in baseball on Friday night, Reds pitcher Nick Martinez spoke with catcher Tyler Stephenson about what they should expect.Martinez had spent the last two years pitching in the NL West, and he had already faced Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. “Nick had a really good idea of what he wanted to do,” Stephenson said.Martinez went on to spend the next two hours carving up the full-strength Dodgers lineup in one of the Reds’ most impressive spring training performances in years. He pitched four perfect innings with six strikeouts in a game that got called due to rain in the fifth inning.

“Knowing these guys a bit and them knowing me, pounding the zone against a good lineup is a good way to gauge where you are,” Martinez said. “Obviously this lineup is very tough. It really demands a high level of focus against these guys with not a lot of room for error. I was able to accomplish that today.”

Martinez’s success started with the way he threw all of his pitches for strikes. His fastball set up his changeup, which set up his off-speed pitches. First, he got Dodgers All-Star Max Muncy to flail at a changeup. Then, he blew a fastball past Dodgers outfielder Jason Heyward, who’s another former All-Star.

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Martinez struck out 2023 MVP candidate Freddie Freeman twice, and he used two different pitches to beat one of the best hitters in baseball.

“He commanded everything,” Stephenson said. “He has so many pitches that he challenges himself. He’ll throw anything and everything in any count. He makes himself as unpredictable as possible.”On Friday, Martinez’s best pitch was his changeup, which was the weapon that solidified his place in MLB. He had hitters lunging at the pitch as it dropped off at the last second, showing the upside that Martinez brings to the Reds’ pitching staff. He used the entire strike zone, locating all of his pitches on both sides of the plate. He sequenced his pitches to build on each other.

Martinez’s performance against the Dodgers was a reminder of why the Reds made him their third-highest paid player.

“We’re obviously excited to have him be a part of our team,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He’s just a good pitcher.”

As good as Martinez has been this spring, his spot in the Reds’ rotation isn’t guaranteed. The Reds entered the spring with confidence in Martinez’s potential as a starting pitcher. But Martinez has spent most of his career as a swingman. Bell has discussed a vision of using Martinez as a multi-inning high-leverage reliever who gets big outs in close games.

Martinez said that he prefers being a starting pitcher. But he said that his biggest priority is winning, and he’s willing to take on whatever role the Reds need him to fill this year.

“The Reds know what I’m capable of doing,” Martinez said. “It’s more of a question of whatever the team needs, whether it’s being a starter or a reliever. I’ve shown that I can do both. We’re just preparing for the season. Whatever the team needs at the start of the season is what I’ll be doing.”

Martinez’s head-turning spring training could factor into the team’s plans for the pitching staff this year.Hunter Greene and Frankie Montas are locks to be in the rotation at the start of the year. Andrew Abbott and Graham Ashcraft have had impressive spring trainings and are in good positions to claim a rotation spot.

Nick Lodolo is expected to miss the first turn through the rotation due to a delayed start to spring training. He’s targeting a return to the rotation on April 9, and he’s a lock for a spot when he’s healthy.

If everything goes according to plan, the Reds will need a fifth starter to fill a turn through the rotation during the first week of the season before Lodolo takes over the spot.

As the Reds shape their rotation plans, Martinez is showing how much he could bring to that group if he’s given the chance to start.

“His preference is to do whatever he needs to do to help our team win,” Bell said. “He also knows that he’s a good starter. He has a lot of confidence in himself. If there was a reason that he didn’t (end up in the rotation) because it was best for the team, he’d understand that. Right now, he’s on track, and we’re building him up as a starter. He’s definitely showing us what has made him successful.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds starter Nick Martinez delivers four perfect innings vs. Dodgers