Welcome back to the Cubs Beat newsletter. Jordan Bastian has covered baseball for MLB.com since 2005, including the Cubs since the 2019 season. |
CLEVELAND -- Riley Martin had a day to let the moment sink in. When the Cubs’ had their game against the Guardians rained out on Saturday, the rookie reliever was able to go through a workout at Progressive Field without the immediate stress of a Major League debut. “I stepped into the stadium, and I just looked up,” Martin said. “It was like, ‘Man, this is a lot different than Iowa.’” The Cubs officially promoted Martin from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday ahead of the team’s doubleheader against the Guardians. The move came after the North Siders placed starter Cade Horton on the 15-day injured list due to a right forearm strain. Martin joined the bullpen as an arm capable of covering multiple innings, if needed. The fact that Martin (Pipeline’s No. 28-ranked Cubs prospect) was even standing in a big league ballpark was a small miracle by baseball standards. There was a point during his five-year stint at Division II Quincy University -- a small school near the Mississippi River in western Illinois -- when Riley figured his baseball career was winding down. He even took the step of enrolling in pharmacy school, planning for the next phase of his life when the time came to put down the ball and glove. |
Things changed during Martin’s fifth year for the Hawks. During that 2021 collegiate season, the lefty saw an uptick in velocity and tweaked his arsenal, moving away from a sinker and focusing more on a four-seamer. Martin said he embraced a mindset of trying to “smother” hitters. It all added up to a standout year that included a 3.55 ERA, plus 152 strikeouts against 34 walks in 78 2/3 innings. The Cubs then selected Martin in the sixth round of the 2021 Draft, putting pharmacy school on hold. “I've always dreamed of being a big leaguer,” Martin said. “My first couple years at Quincy, I thought maybe it’s a possibility. My last couple years before my fifth year, I was like, ‘I'm just trying to have fun my last couple years of baseball.’ I came back after [the COVID pandemic] and had a really good season and got an opportunity. “But, it’s crazy. I went into my fifth year expecting to be done playing baseball after that season.” |
Martin’s road to the Cubs’ bullpen has been slow and steady. The lefty joined Triple-A Iowa to begin this season, marking his fourth year with the affiliate. He really put himself on the big league team’s radar last year by logging a 2.69 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings across 47 games (one start). It was a showing that convinced the Cubs to add Martin to their 40-man roster over the winter. “Last season made everybody take note, for sure,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. A large group of family and friends made the trip to Cleveland in anticipation of Martin’s MLB debut, but the lefty did not pitch in Sunday’s tightly-contested doubleheader. As the Cubs head to Tampa Bay, his name should be called soon enough, bringing one journey to an end and starting a new one as a big leaguer. “It took longer than I thought it would,” Martin said. “But I just kept working and just kept getting after it every single day. I’m finally here.” |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Which Cubs team boasts the club record for most stolen bases in March-April? A. 2025 B. 1996 C. 1989 D. 1906 |
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PCA LAUDS BUXTON’S IMPACT |
Twins center fielder Byron Buxton reached 10 years of Major League service time on Sunday -- a milestone that is sacred among big leaguers. Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was 13 years old when Buxton first debuted, and he remembers his dad telling him to keep an eye on Minnesota’s dynamic outfielder. “I remember my dad,” Crow-Armstrong said, “in his baseball nerdiness, kind of being like, ‘Hey, this will be the next Mike Trout, if he can stay healthy.’ I loved Mike Trout, so of course I’m going to watch this guy now, if that’s the case. “Buck is such an interesting case, because I do feel like we’ve been robbed a little bit of enough of him, or at least the sample size that I think baseball deserves. He’s probably the, or one of the most gifted players I’ve ever seen.” Crow-Armstrong said he had a couple pinch-me moments being teammates with Buxton on Team USA during the World Baseball Classic. They shared meals and went through drills together, swapping stories and talking shop. Crow-Armstrong said he was humbled by Buxton asking him questions about his approach to defense. “I will always appreciate that guy,” Crow-Armstrong said, “just because my style of play is so similar to him, where God willing, I stay on the field a lot and my body holds up, but we’re going to get it. Buck, most definitely, goes and gets it. It’s cool. It’s special stuff.” |
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• Seiya Suzuki (10-day IL) could rejoin Cubs this week. Read more >> • Ian Happ finds remedy for cold stretch. Read more >> • Cade Horton lands on 15-day IL with forearm injury. Read more >> • Edward Cabrera keeps strong start going in Cleveland. Read more >> • Where the Cubs’ Top 30 prospects are starting 2026. Read more >> • Pipeline highlights MiLB’s most stacked affiliates. Read more >> |
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“Riley’s somebody that I think over the course of his career has continued to get better. And that’s what eventually gets you on the map and puts you on the radar. For guys that come into professional baseball like that, you’ve got to really keep showing organizations that you’re moving up and you have to earn those opportunities. And I think that’s exactly what Riley has done.” -- Counsell, on Martin |
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A. 2025 Cubs The North Siders swiped a team-record 44 bases in March-April last year, breaking the previous mark of 32 (set in 1906). Crow-Armstrong led the way with 12 steals, tying a March-April Cubs record (also done by Brian McRae in 1996). |
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