Kyle Martin

Kyle J. Martin (born November 13, 1992) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Cleburne Railroaders of the American Association of Professional Baseball. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft, and played in the 2015 WBSC Premier12.

Career Amateur career Martin attended Wade Hampton High School in Greenville, South Carolina. He enrolled at the University of South Carolina and played college baseball for the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim selected Martin in the 20th round of the 2014 MLB draft, but he did not sign with the Angels, opting to return to South Carolina for his senior year. As a senior, Louisville Slugger named Martin a Second Team All-American.

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies selected Martin in the fourth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, and he signed with the Phillies. After signing, he was assigned to the Lakewood BlueClaws where he posted a .279 batting average with five home runs and 37 RBIs.

In 2016, Martin played for the Clearwater Threshers where he batted .250 with 19 home runs and 82 RBIs. In 2017, he played with the Reading Fightin Phils where he batted .193 with 22 home runs and 68 RBIs.

In the winter, Martin played for the Caimanes de Barranquilla of the Colombian Professional Baseball League. During the 2017–18 season he finished fourth in the LPB with nine doubles and won the Gold Glove as the league’s top defensive first baseman. He also participated in a promotional Home Run Derby event alongside other local and international players.

In 2018, with the Reading Fightin Phils and the Clearwater Threshers, he batted .198 with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs. Martin was released from the Phillies organization on May 28, 2019.

Winnipeg Goldeyes On June 5, 2019, Martin signed with the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. On January 28, 2020, Martin re-signed with Winnipeg. He led the league in RBIs with 51, while also belting 16 home runs in 60 games. He was named an American Association All-Star for the 2020 season.

On January 20, 2021, Martin again re-signed with the Goldeyes. He repeated as the league leader in RBIs with 106 and second in home runs with 31, which were both single-season franchise records for Winnipeg. He also earned a second-consecutive All-Star selection.

Guerreros de Oaxaca On December 20, 2021, Martin's contract was purchased by the Guerreros de Oaxaca of the Mexican League. In 39 games, he batted .364/.480/.884 with a league-leading 18 home runs and 47 RBI. Martin also led all of professional baseball with a 1.365 OPS prior to his departure from the team.

San Diego Padres On June 8, 2022, the San Diego Padres signed Martin to a minor league contract and assigned him to the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas. He played in 79 games for El Paso, hitting .257/.352/.529 with 17 home runs and 46 RBI. Martin elected free agency following the season on November 10.

Guerreros de Oaxaca (second stint) On March 28, 2023, Martin re-signed with the Guerreros de Oaxaca of the Mexican League. In 86 games for the team, he batted .258/.363/.563 with 26 home runs and 75 RBI.

During the 2024 season, Martin appeared in 72 games for Guerreros de Oaxaca, hitting .278/.388/.553 with 21 home runs and 68 RBI. He was selected to the 2024 Mexican Baseball League All-Star Game, where he hit a home run and competed in the Home Run Derby, leading the field with 14 home runs through the first two rounds before falling to Yasiel Puig in the final.

Cleburne Railroaders On January 28, 2025, Martin signed with the Cleburne Railroaders of the American Association of Professional Baseball. In 96 games, he hit .279/.368/.593 with 29 home runs, 90 RBI, and four stolen bases.

He led the league in runs scored (77), home runs (29), and RBI (90), earning his third American Association All-Star selection. He also won the Home Run Derby, defeating Robbie Glendinning in the finals.

York Revolution On September 2, 2025, Martin was traded to the York Revolution of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in exchange for a player to be named later. In nine appearances for the Revolution, he batted .333/.395/.641 with two home runs, seven RBI, and one stolen base. With York, Martin won the Atlantic League championship.

Cleburne Railroaders (second stint) On October 7, 2025, Martin was traded back to the Cleburne Railroaders to complete a prior transaction. Martin was also selected by the Texas Tailgaters in the fourth round (third pick) of the Banana Ball draft.

Career statistics Blue background indicates league leader. LMB statistics Year Team 2022 Oaxaca 39 152 121 40 44 9 0 18 47 3 1 26 33 .364 2023 Oaxaca 86 380 318 61 82 13 3 26 75 0 1 50 120 .258 2024 Oaxaca 72 322 273 55 76 12 0 21 68 5 0 42 70 .278 Career 197 854 712 156 202 34 3 65 190 8 2 118 223 .284

LMP statistics – Winter league Year Team 2021–22 Navojoa 53 222 180 33 47 5 0 17 43 0 0 31 58 .261 2024–25 Mochis 48 200 170 23 26 4 0 6 28 0 0 26 60 .153 Career 101 422 350 56 73 9 0 23 71 0 0 57 118 .209

Independent statistics Year Team 2019 Winnipeg AA 82 341 287 60 79 19 1 14 67 8 4 44 44 .275 2020 Winnipeg AA60 257 226 40 68 10 1 16 51 8 4 23 46 .301 2021 Winnipeg AA 99 434 371 76 104 25 2 31 106 8 1 49 82 .280 2025 Cleburne AA 96 410 351 77 98 21 1 29 90 4 0 45 79 .279 2025 York ATLL 9 43 39 11 13 6 0 2 7 1 1 3 6 .333 Career 346 1,485 1,274 264 362 81 5 92 321 29 10 164 257 .284