Rafael Martin

Early life

Martin was born in California but spent parts of his childhood in Mexico until the 7th grade. Martin attended Jurupa Valley High School in Jurupa Valley, California. He played for the school's varsity baseball team for one year. Though coaches at University of Redlands and Riverside Community College offered Martin the opportunity to walk on to their college baseball teams, they did not offer scholarships, and Martin opted not to attend college. He went to work for a contractor in Fontana, California, becoming a crew foreman and dispatcher.

Career

Martin attended a tryout with the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League in 2007. He made his professional baseball debut with them that year. The Washington Nationals signed Martin out of the Mexican League in 2010. In 2011, Martin pitched for the Potomac Nationals of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League and the Harrisburg Senators of the Class AA Eastern League. The Nationals assigned him to the Arizona Fall League after the regular season. He struggled with elbow and shoulder injuries in 2012. In 2014, he pitched for the Syracuse Chiefs of the Class AAA International League. He had a 0.80 ERA for Syracuse, allowing a run in only two of his 38 appearances.

The Nationals invited Martin to spring training in 2015. They assigned him to Syracuse to start the year, but selected his contract and promoted him to the major leagues on April 14. The following day, Martin made his major league debut, facing the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. He started the seventh inning; after allowing a fly out and a single, he proceeded to strike out the next five consecutive batters over two innings.