Jason Martin making early noise for LA Angels in spring training

Drafted 227th overall in 2013 by the Houston Astros at the age of 17, Jason Martin has been making waves at Los Angeles Angels camp early this Spring. Martin is batting .500 and leads the team in runs batted in with five, along with Zach Neto. For the DC Dinos in Korea, Martin batted .283 with 17 home runs and 90 RBI in 118 games. He is now trying to make his hometown team, having graduated for Orange Lutheran High School in 2013.

He slugged a two-run home run late in the first spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers to tie the game at seven, which ended up being the final score.

LA Angels' Jason Martin making early spring training statement

Many scouts saw potential in Martin. He made MaxPreps’ 2013 California Large School Baseball State team, which included Jack Flaherty, J.P. Crawford, Ryan McMahon, Tyler Wade, former Angel David Fletcher, and Jake Bauers. Martin led the Lancers in many hitting categories, as well as a berth in the 2013 CIF Division 1 Baseball Tournament.

The only knocks have been his performance at the Major League level, with only a season under his belt between the Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Texas Rangers. In Korea, he had All-Star-caliber numbers. The problem is that, with the team's logjam of outfielders, he may be playing for another shot on a different ball club.

Unless the Angels trade Jo Adell, it's tough to see a path for Martin to make the club out of camp, no matter the numbers he puts up. It would be a great story if Jason Martin could make this Angels team, hailing from Corona, California and playing right down the street from his old stomping grounds. He had an offer from Long Beach State to become a Dirtbag, but he decided to go for it in MLB instead, and has a shot to do something special. Between three teams that ended up giving up on him, playing in Korea, and then making the LA Angels roster out of Spring Training at 28? That would be a fairytale for Martin.

Baseball is the only sport where a story like this is possible. Ron Washington loves players who play the right way, and Jason Martin is doing that. We will see if gets that ending -- or, in this case, his fairytale beginning.