Former Rays first-round pick Brandon Martin convicted of triple-murder

A former Tampa Bay Rays prospect has been convicted of murdering his father, uncle, and a third man back in 2015

On Wednesday, former Tampa Bay Rays prospect Brandon Martin was found guilty of first-degree murder by the Riverside County Superior Court in the deaths of three men.

Back on Sept. 17, 2015, Martin allegedly murdered his father Michael Martin, his uncle Ricky Anderson, and Barry Swanson, a security system subcontractor, with a baseball bat at the family’s house in Corona, Calif.  Additionally, Martin was convicted for evading and resisting arrest, stealing an automobile and injuring a police dog. The penalty phase of the trial is scheduled to take place on Monday, where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Martin was a former 2011 first-round pick

Two days prior to murders, Martin was admitted to the Riverside County Department of Mental Health’s emergency treatment facility after he made threats against his father, per the prosecution, via NBC Los Angeles. Martin was released from the facility the day of the crime.

Martin was selected in the supplemental first-round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Rays out of Santiago High School. Many deemed him to be the next great shortstop prospect, with many comparing his play to New York Yankees great Derek Jeter but he never made it to the big leagues. After he was drafted, court record showed that Martin displayed erratic behavior, which included punching his father in the face and placing his mother in a head lock, via the Los Angeles Times.

The shortstop played three seasons in the minors, before he was released by the organization on March 26, 2015.