Junior pitcher Max Martin was selected with the 308th pick by the Kansas City Royals in the 2025 MLB draft.
The pick came in the tenth round of the draft, and Martin signed with the Royals for around $185,000 on July 21. Martin was assigned to the ACL Royals the same day and was activated on Aug. 4.
Prior to his collegiate days, Martin played at Sierra Canyon High School, where he was ranked as the 441st prospect.
With Martin off the Anteaters’ roster for the 2026 season, his developed role as a closing pitcher could go to someone else. It is unknown exactly who would fill this void. Sophomore pitcher Ricky Ojeda could fit this role, but his stellar pitching and stamina on the mound may have him making starts for UC Irvine. There is the chance that Ojeda may continue to be a volume reliever, so someone else will need to fill Martin’s closer role, or it could become vacant.
Martin, in the closing role, was one of the large pieces as to how the Anteaters were able to finish on top in the regular season in the Big West and as No. 25 in the nation at the end of the 2025 season.
In UC Irvine’s final game of the season against UC Los Angeles on June 1, Martin threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout.
In an elimination game in the Los Angeles regional of the 2025 NCAA baseball championship tournament, Martin threw two scoreless innings, where he only allowed a hit and had a strikeout against California State University, Fresno, on May 31.
In the Big West Championship final against Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, on May 25, Martin threw an inning where he allowed a run and a hit.
On May 22, in a Big West Tournament semifinal, Martin threw an inning and two-thirds, where he allowed a hit, had three strikeouts and picked up his 14th save of the season against the University of Hawai’i.
Martin was a member of the All-West Region team and the All-Big West Second team in the 2025 season.
In his final game at Anteater Ballpark this past season on May 17, Martin threw a scoreless inning and allowed only one hit, along with picking up a save against California State University, Fullerton.
Martin’s worst outing of the season came on May 15, also against Cal State Fullerton, where he allowed three runs, four hits and one walk. Martin also had a strikeout but was credited with the loss, his only one of the season. UCI fell to CSUF 9-7 in the game, which hurt UC Irvine’s chances of hosting a regional in the postseason.
On May 11 at California State University, Bakersfield, Martin threw two innings, allowed a run, a hit and a walk. Martin also struck a batter out and picked up a save. On the day prior at Bakersfield, Martin threw two and two-thirds scoreless innings while striking out five.
On May 6 against California Baptist University, Martin threw an inning, allowed a run and two hits while striking out two and hitting the double-digit save mark on the season of ten.
Jack Fedor is the 2025-2026 Sports Editor. He can be reached at jfedor@uci.edu.
Edited by Jaden Hunter and Joshua Gonzales