All Hays Free Press, News-Dispatch Baseball Team
Player of the Year Aidan Martinez, Hays
Up until he suffered an elbow injury in mid-April that kept him off the mound, Hays High’s Aidan Martinez was on pace for a breakout season. Compiling a 5-1 record and a bounty of strikeouts, Martinez, a University of Arkansas Pine Bluff pledge, was easily the go-to ace in a loaded Hays bullpen and was a legitimate threat for any and all opponents in the rough and tumble 25-6A. Even after being forced to shut down his arm midseason, Martinez didn’t let that prevent him from playing a key role, both on the field and in the dugout, in the Rebels’ return to the postseason. Martinez’ team-first mentality, combined with a stellar season at the plate, is why we at Barton Publications tab him to be our 2019 player of the year.
