Cubs' No. 28 prospect traveled an unlikely road to The Show

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian's Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox

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.”