Nick Martinez Excels With Count-Agnostic Changeup

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Nick Martinez stood out during the 2026 season for his elite changeup usage, generating a 15.5% swinging-strike rate and a 23.2% hard-hit rate—nearly 9% below league average. Martinez emphasized his ability to command the pitch in any count against hitters, relying on its distinct movement profile, deception, and velocity differential off his fastball to suppress hard contact and yield a wOBA .052 better than average.