Leonys Martin hasn't quite earned the confidence of his manager to put him back in a regular starting gig against left-handed pitching, but he's doing his best to get back to full-time status with his recent run of good play.
The 26-year-old Cuban, who has yet to realize the potential the Rangers saw in him when they gave him a five-year $20.5 million deal as an international free agent back in 2011, has begun to flash some of what makes him a high-ceiling guy in a recent run of success.
Martin is now 10-for-21 in his last six games and hit .417 on the Rangers' seven-game homestand that came to a close on Sunday. He also had the first four-hit game of his career last week to help him bust out of an 0-for-12 skid.
Martin's potential is obvious. He's fast and he has one of the best outfield arms in baseball in terms of sheer power. If he fully realizes his potential, he could end up being a great leadoff hitter, but his plate discipline and long swing probably will prevent that.
Martin is one of the many stories to watch over the remainder of this season since any kind of postseason hope is long gone. A strong finish to the season would be huge for the young outfielder moving forward to 2015.
