Blue Jays Give 30-Year-Old Outfielder Long-Awaited First MLB Chance

Rudy Martin Jr. spent more than a decade in the minors before Toronto finally gave him his first major league call-up

Ross Atkins speaks to the media before game one of the 2025 MLB World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Toronto Blue Jays added Rudy Martin Jr. to their major league roster on Friday, with the outfielder expected to be active against the Baltimore Orioles. Toronto designated Jesús Sánchez for assignment in the corresponding move. It has not been a quick or easy path for Martin, who has spent more than a decade bouncing around professional baseball, including stops in Mexico and winter ball, before finally earning his first shot in the big leagues.

An Uphill Battle

The stadium lights shine through the backstop net before the Toronto Blue Jays game against the Boston Red Sox Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As a 25th-round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, Martin would always have to fight for every opportunity. A 2012 Bleacher Report analysis estimated that only about seven percent of players selected from rounds 21 through 40 eventually reached the majors, while noting that the figure could be even lower after the draft was shortened from 50 rounds to 40.

Those odds did not stop Martin from coming back season after season to prove himself. He has accumulated more than 2,000 minor-league at-bats and finished 2026 with one of the best offensive seasons of his career, posting a .274/.394/.421 slash line with 11 home runs and a career-high 45 stolen bases.

The season has been particularly impressive considering how much Martin has bounced around before finally reaching Toronto. Kansas City traded him to Baltimore for cash considerations on July 18, only for the Orioles to designate him for assignment two days later. Toronto claimed him off waivers on July 23, then designated him for assignment themselves on Aug. 7 before outrighting him to Triple-A Buffalo three days later.

This is only a single season's worth of movement, and Martin had already spent years dealing with the uncertainty that comes with life in the minor leagues. His determination kept him going even when a major league opportunity never arrived. After earning a promotion to High-A in 2018, Martin summed up that mentality: “I tell myself every day to play with that chip on my shoulder. If I don’t, then I get passed up.”

Now that he is here, where does Martin fit? The 30-year-old is a speedy, contact-oriented outfielder who could initially give Toronto another option off the bench. Brett Bateman has become a mainstay since his call-up, but the other outfield spots have been more of a carousel, with Nathan Lukes, Charles McAdoo, Josh Smith and the now-designated-for-assignment Jesús Sánchez all getting opportunities.

Martin will be active Friday night, according to the original report, and could get an opportunity to start or contribute off the bench immediately. His speed and defensive flexibility could prove useful as Toronto clings to roughly a 33% chance of reaching the postseason, according to FanGraphs.