On paper, Marty Gantt is your typical standout collegiate athlete. After transferring to the College of Charleston from Spartanburg Methodist (junior college), Gantt put up numbers that would eventually get him noticed by big league scouts around the country.
In his first year with the Cougars, Gantt started all 61 games and finished third on the team in batting average (.329). He also tallied 44 RBIs, held a .506 slugging percentage and led the team with 25 stolen bases in 29 attempts. His impressive work ethic and lead-by-example attitude allowed him to tally even more impressive numbers as a senior.
In 2012, Gantt was named an ACBA Second Team All-American, Louisville Slugger Third Team All-American and ACBA First Team All-Atlantic team member. He led the SoCon and finished third in the country in runs scored (68) and 18th in the NCAA in on-base percentage (.483). He was second in the conference in batting average (.373), third in hits (88) and slugging percentage (.614). He was also named the Coaches and Media Southern Conference Player of the Year. He led the Cougars to a regular season co-title with Appalachian State and on to an NCAA regional in Gainesville, Fla.
On paper, Gantt’s stats show that he is a natural athlete. He is a baseball player whose love of the game makes him strive to be the best he can be. But in reality, Gantt is more than an athlete who works hard at his game just because he wants to. He’s also an athlete who works hard because he has to.
Gantt was born with an underdeveloped right hand – while in the womb, the umbilical cord wrapped around his fingertips, stunting growth. Four fingers on his glove hand are about half the length of average fingers, but the North Augusta, S.C., native has learned how to adapt and not let this disability hold him back.
The 2007 “Mr. Baseball” in the state of South Carolina proved that he could work hard and be one of the best players at the high school level, then went on to be a stand out at Spartanburg Methodist. While at SMC, he was named all-region both years and was a member of the NJCAA All-Star team in 2010. He then progressed into the top player in all of the Southern Conference while at College of Charleston. All of the hard work Gantt put into his baseball career did not go unnoticed, as he was drafted in the seventh round of the 2012 MLB draft by the Tampa Bay Rays.
His on-field success is not only impressive, it’s inspiring. In the summer of 2012, Gantt was awarded the 2012 Tom Walter College Baseball Inspiration Award, an honor that recognizes courage, overcoming adversity and inspiration in college baseball. The award is named for Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter, who donated a kidney to one of his freshman baseball players, Kevin Jordan, prior to the 2011 season.
Gantt is currently playing for the Bowling Green Hot Rods, the Class A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, where he is still putting up impressive numbers. Gantt is batting .313 with four homers and 22 RBIs in 34 games this season. As he continues his journey to the big leagues, Gantt looks to continue his hard-work and determination; to continue being his best.