Daily Chronicle 2025 Baseball Player of the Year: Hinckley-Big Rock’s Martin Ledbetter

When a player averages more than one intentional walk per game, it can be hard to feel like they are contributing to their fullest.

Hinckley-Big Rock senior slugger Martin Ledbetter found a workaround. He stole 33 bases.

“Using those intentional walks as an advantage to steal a base and maybe even another really helped out the team,” Ledbetter said. “It gets a runner into scoring position. So using those intentional walks and not taking them for granted was great.”

Even with drawing 32 walks this year, including 26 intentional, Ledbetter hit .618 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs, scored 35 times, got on base at a .755 clip, slugged 1.368 and had a 2.122 OPS.

He was named the Daily Chronicle Baseball Player of the Year for the second year in a row.

“It’s impossible for perfect in baseball, but for four years I think he’s as close as I’ll ever see,” coach Greg Jourdan said. “I think it was an ideal season. He showed a lot of maturity for the number of walks he had. Last year it was a little difficult for him ... not seeing a pitch for a game or two or sometimes even three games. This year the kid handled it well and stepped up on the bases.”

Ledbetter also pitched 25⅓ innings this year, going 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA. He struck out 48 and walked 14.

He also helped the Royals to a 10-2 record in the Little Ten Conference, taking second. They were 13-12-1 this year overall.

“He’s changed baseball here,” Jourdan said. “He’s inspired these Little Leaguers. When Martin comes up to bat, they run out to the outfield. It brings that hope that anything can happen on any pitch, and with Martin a lot of the kids believed in it.”

Ledbetter was also a four-year basketball standout for the Royals at forward and center, rewriting the basketball record books in much the same way he wrote the baseball ones.

But even for as big as he is, he had speed. Jourdan said before any at-bat, especially one in which he knew a walk was coming, he’d tell Ledbetter to come see him on third.

“For a guy 6-5, 250, he’s the second fastest on the team and second quickest,” Jourdan said. “It’s just unworldly.”

Ledbetter is heading to Wabash Valley College in downstaet Mount Carmel to continue his baseball career. The Warriors were fourth at the NJCAA World Series in 2022 and second in 2023. They went 35-23 last year.

The team is coached by Aaron Biddle, who led them to a Region 24 championship in 2024.

“They’re usually a ... contender for the College World Series each year,” Ledbetter said. “They have a great coaching staff.

“I’ve always heard don’t take junior college as less than a four-year college,” he said. “They still have real ball. They offer great opportunities to develop, just as good as four-year schools.”

Jourdan said the fit at Wabash Valley is a perfect one for Ledbetter.

“I just cannot picture Martin Ledbetter redshirting or not being on a baseball field getting his cleats dirty every day,” Jourdan said. “Even when he’s standing in line to get reps in practice, he’s like a caged tiger. He just wants to play.”

Jourdan said in Ledbetter’s four years in the program, baseball became something the community followed.

Ledbetter said he is proud to be part of the program the past four years.

“Baseball and basketball included, I had a great four years with some great coaches and great guys,” Ledbetter said.