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Buford (Ga.) outfielder Kaden Martin is one of Miami’s prized recruits in the 2022 recruiting class, which ranks ninth according to Perfect Game.
Martin is the 16th-best outfielder and 67th-best overall player in the 2022 class according to Perfect Game. He hit .384 with 10 doubles, five home runs and 34 RBIs as a senior, earning All-County honors. After going undrafted earlier this month, Martin is set to enroll at Miami for the fall semester.
“Kaden is a hitter,” head coach Gino DiMare said. “He’s a corner outfielder, a left-handed hitter and is a left-left guy who actually pitched some in high school, but we recruited him as a hitter. A left-handed guy that’s got some power in his bat. He’s got a very, very good swing, an efficient swing—that’s his main tool, his hitting tool. Obviously that’s important. Left-handed hitters are always a premium. Having a guy like that who can swing the bat and has some power. We’re looking for him coming in and being a big force in our lineup, hopefully. He’s a highly-touted guy, but he’s got to prove himself like everybody. We’re excited with him coming to school and not being drafted. That’s a big get for us.”
Martin is Miami’s highest-ranked recruit who will enroll after No. 1 overall prospect in the class outfielder Elijah Green was drafted 5th by the Nationals and signed and the No. 18 player in the class pitcher Nazier Mule was selected by the Cubs in the fourth round and signed.
“Another very good class,” DiMare said. “Whenever you’re not losing many guys in your recruiting class, it should be pretty good. If it’s not and you’re not losing guys and you’re getting a lot of guys and it’s not good, that means you’re not doing a very good job in recruiting. We’ve been fortunate the last three, four, five years, whatever it has been, that we haven’t lost many guys in the class in the draft. This year we lost two in Elijah Green and Nazier Mule, which we expected to lose, so that wasn’t a shock to us. We got everybody else.”
The Hurricanes are also adding two top-200 infielders in Windermere shortstop Blake Cyr (No. 34 SS, No. 150 overall) and Miami Springs third baseman Jason Torres (No. 10 3B, No. 159).
“Kaden Martin is a big one, Blake Cyr is another one, Jason Torres is a local kid and those are hitters,” DiMare said.
Three other hitters are also set to join the mix in American Heritage outfielder Ray Bermudez(No. 62 OF, No. 336), Statesboro (Ga.) outfielder Diego Guevara (No. 67 OF, No. 375) and Monsignor Pace third baseman Adrian Dominguez (No. 39 3B).
The class also includes eight pitchers in New Port Richey Mitchell’s Ashton Crowther (No. 35 LHP, No. 272), Oxbridge Academy’s Alex Walsh (No. 36 LHP, No. 274), West Broward’s Sebastian Perez (No. 108 RHP, No. 343), Taravella’s Chris Scinta (No. 51 LHP, No. 381), IMG Academy’s Gunther Braendel (No. 173 RHP), St. Andrew’s’ Cole Derks (No. 208 RHP), Tampa Wharton’s Ryan Fry (No. 205 RHP) and Eastern Florida State College’s Brian Walters.
“We brought in a number of pitchers, we need some guys pitching-wise,” DiMare said. “Having lost (Carson) Palmquist (to the draft), that’s a big one there. We’re probably going to look at Gage Ziehl and moving him to the rotation. We need some guys to step up as starters. We were very inconsistent with our starting other than Carson. Even the year before our starters were inconsistent. We do have a number of starting-type pitchers coming in, albeit young guys that will compete with some of the older guys too.
“Overall, the recruiting class, I’m excited about and not losing many guys to the draft so hopefully these guys can develop, work hard and be great players for us.”
Fall practices begin in October.
Martin is the 16th-best outfielder and 67th-best overall player in the 2022 class according to Perfect Game. He hit .384 with 10 doubles, five home runs and 34 RBIs as a senior, earning All-County honors. After going undrafted earlier this month, Martin is set to enroll at Miami for the fall semester.
“Kaden is a hitter,” head coach Gino DiMare said. “He’s a corner outfielder, a left-handed hitter and is a left-left guy who actually pitched some in high school, but we recruited him as a hitter. A left-handed guy that’s got some power in his bat. He’s got a very, very good swing, an efficient swing—that’s his main tool, his hitting tool. Obviously that’s important. Left-handed hitters are always a premium. Having a guy like that who can swing the bat and has some power. We’re looking for him coming in and being a big force in our lineup, hopefully. He’s a highly-touted guy, but he’s got to prove himself like everybody. We’re excited with him coming to school and not being drafted. That’s a big get for us.”
Martin is Miami’s highest-ranked recruit who will enroll after No. 1 overall prospect in the class outfielder Elijah Green was drafted 5th by the Nationals and signed and the No. 18 player in the class pitcher Nazier Mule was selected by the Cubs in the fourth round and signed.
“Another very good class,” DiMare said. “Whenever you’re not losing many guys in your recruiting class, it should be pretty good. If it’s not and you’re not losing guys and you’re getting a lot of guys and it’s not good, that means you’re not doing a very good job in recruiting. We’ve been fortunate the last three, four, five years, whatever it has been, that we haven’t lost many guys in the class in the draft. This year we lost two in Elijah Green and Nazier Mule, which we expected to lose, so that wasn’t a shock to us. We got everybody else.”
The Hurricanes are also adding two top-200 infielders in Windermere shortstop Blake Cyr (No. 34 SS, No. 150 overall) and Miami Springs third baseman Jason Torres (No. 10 3B, No. 159).
“Kaden Martin is a big one, Blake Cyr is another one, Jason Torres is a local kid and those are hitters,” DiMare said.
Three other hitters are also set to join the mix in American Heritage outfielder Ray Bermudez(No. 62 OF, No. 336), Statesboro (Ga.) outfielder Diego Guevara (No. 67 OF, No. 375) and Monsignor Pace third baseman Adrian Dominguez (No. 39 3B).
The class also includes eight pitchers in New Port Richey Mitchell’s Ashton Crowther (No. 35 LHP, No. 272), Oxbridge Academy’s Alex Walsh (No. 36 LHP, No. 274), West Broward’s Sebastian Perez (No. 108 RHP, No. 343), Taravella’s Chris Scinta (No. 51 LHP, No. 381), IMG Academy’s Gunther Braendel (No. 173 RHP), St. Andrew’s’ Cole Derks (No. 208 RHP), Tampa Wharton’s Ryan Fry (No. 205 RHP) and Eastern Florida State College’s Brian Walters.
“We brought in a number of pitchers, we need some guys pitching-wise,” DiMare said. “Having lost (Carson) Palmquist (to the draft), that’s a big one there. We’re probably going to look at Gage Ziehl and moving him to the rotation. We need some guys to step up as starters. We were very inconsistent with our starting other than Carson. Even the year before our starters were inconsistent. We do have a number of starting-type pitchers coming in, albeit young guys that will compete with some of the older guys too.
“Overall, the recruiting class, I’m excited about and not losing many guys to the draft so hopefully these guys can develop, work hard and be great players for us.”
Fall practices begin in October.
