26 days till FSU baseball: Robby Martin’s weight drop to lead to big 2021

Ever since Robby Martin stepped on campus at Florida State, it was obvious he was one of the best pure hitters in the nation. Martin was a freshman All-American after hitting .315 in 2019, before hitting .324 in 2020. Despite posting the good averages, he’s lacked the power production and struggled some defensively, but a recent weight drop could change that for the 2021 draft-eligible outfielder.

Martin is down nearly 20 pounds from the end of his sophomore year, and 30 pounds since reaching campus in 2018. The weight drop has made him lighter on his feet and looser through his swing path. The third-year sophomore is ready to put his new-found athleticism on display in 2021. On the importance of his weight drop, Martin said, “Just trying to work on speed in the outfield and quick steps. Other than that, I think it translates to just overall being more athletic.”

The outfielder didn’t see the field much early on in his career, as he was Florida State’s designated hitter. He’s made it a priority to progress his defensive skills at Florida State. He now looks and feels like an everyday outfielder. A lot of the improvements have come through his conditioning, as he said, “I think from freshman year being heavier I felt a big difference conditioning wise. Practices felt a whole lot easier and not being wore out after three games.”

A large part of his progression has been aided by the teaching of outfield coach Tyler Holt. Martin has worked one-on-one with him for three years now, and the experiences of Holt have been as important as anything for Martin. On working with Holt, the former MLB OF, Martin said, “I think it’s great having a guy like ‘T-Holt,’ who has been at the highest level you can go in baseball. Just being able to learn from him and the things he did, whether it was here or in the big leagues, I think it’s awesome to have an outfield coach like that especially because he’s been in the big moments that we’re trying to get to.”

Martin was a power hitter in high school, hitting double digit homers between his junior and senior years, but hasn’t tapped into it at Florid State. Through 80 games as a Seminole, Martin has deposited just four balls out of the park. The addition of power is the last piece of the puzzle for the Tampa native’s game. “It’s not something I want to try to do, but if it happens, it happens. It’s something I definitely am working on and want to work on, just getting the balls to the gap more and driving balls more consistently.”