SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

Orlando Martinez Named April Player of the Month

Published on May 4, 2023 under Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


MADISON, Alabama - After a historic opening month at the plate, Rocket City Trash Pandas outfielder Orlando Martinez has been named Southern League Player of the Month for April.

In addition, Martinez was named the Blue Orbit Trash Pandas Player of the Month of April. He will be honored in a pre-game presentation before Friday night's game at Toyota Field.

The award is the first monthly honor of Martinez's professional career, which began in 2018. He becomes the fifth Rocket City player to be named Southern League Player of the Month. David MacKinnon and Mitch Nay accomplished the feat during the 2021 season while Trey Cabbage and Logan O'Hoppe did so in 2022.

In 19 games over the first month of the season, Martinez hit .333 (24-for-72) with four home runs, 19 RBI, 12 runs scored, and three triples. He led the Southern League in batting average, hits, total baes (44), triples, and RBI, while finishing second in OPS (.991), slugging percentage (.611), and home runs. He recorded nine multi-hit games over the 19 games he played in.

The first month of the season also featured Martinez climbing up the Rocket City record books. In the first game of a doubleheader at Chattanooga, he homered in each of the first two innings while driving in five runs to pass Nay for the Trash Pandas' all-time home run record. Martinez now has 25 home runs over 162 total games with the Trash Pandas from 2021-23.

In April, he also passed Torii Hunter Jr. with the most games played in team history and eclipsed both Preston Palmeiro's doubles mark and Ray-Patrick Didder's triples record. Martinez currently holds the Trash Pandas franchise record in nearly every offensive category including games played, at-bats, slugging percentage, hits, runs scored, home runs, RBI, doubles, triples, and total bases.

Over 21 total games for Rocket City this season, Martinez is hitting .338 with five home runs, 22 RBI, 13 runs scored, four triples, and one stolen base. He currently leads the Southern League in batting average, slugging percentage (.650), and RBI while ranking second in hits.

Martinez, 25, was originally signed by the Los Angeles Angels as an 18-year-old from Cuba in 2017.

Martinez and the Trash Pandas (12-11) continue their homestand against the Tennessee Smokies (13-10) on Thursday night with a 6:35 p.m. matchup at Toyota Field.

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