Few relationships in sports rival that of the pitcher-catcher connection.

Whether it is noticed or not, pitchers and their backstops are constantly working to set each other up for success. A breakdown in communication or an oversight during preparation can mean the difference in the execution of a pitch, which in turn can mean the difference in the outcome of a game.

Nowhere is this relationship tested more than in Minor League Baseball, where players are not only competing against opponents but also for a spot on the big-league roster. That’s where current USA Baseball coaches Matt Frisbee and Brandon Martorano sharpened their relationship for three years with the Double-A-level Richmond Flying Squirrels. Now, the duo is looking to teach the lessons they learned to the players at this week’s 13U/14U Athlete Development Program in Cary, North Carolina.

“He's been around a lot of struggles and a lot of success in my career,” said Frisbee about his former catcher Martorano. “It means a lot to have that connection and that relationship still on the field, but just in a different role.”

Martorano echoed that sentiment, saying “the pitcher-catcher connection is obviously extremely delicate and unique, and we had a great one. That just pushes us towards being better coaches now.”

Coaching in Cary is just the latest stop on what has been a parallel journey through baseball for Frisbee and Martorano. Each player starred for local colleges, with Frisbee setting school records at UNC Greensboro and winning SoCon Pitcher of the Year in 2018. Martorano, meanwhile, started 130 games for UNC-Chapel Hill and led the Tar Heels to the 2018 College World Series.

Frisbee was subsequently drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 15th round of the 2018 MLB Draft, while Martorano went to the Giants in the 16th round a year later. It wasn’t long before the two were forming a battery in Richmond and sharing an appreciation for each other’s approach to game planning.

“Matt was someone who was very diligent with his game planning,” recalls Martorano. “He wanted to know what was going on with the other team and how I would sequence the game. That was something that I took very seriously as a catcher. Calling the game was essential. I used to love the time we would sit and talk about how we would attack hitters, how his stuff would play against certain swing profiles, and getting into the really deep and detailed process of being great.”

“We spent a lot of time in the locker room going over the game plan before a start, and even when I was in the bullpen, I would still go to him,” says Frisbee. “There's a lot of young catchers in the minor league system, and having someone who's mature and who really appreciates the analytics makes it comfortable as a pitcher.”

The partnership paid dividends, with both Martorano and Frisbee enjoying stellar seasons in 2021 with Richmond. Frisbee won Double-A Northeast Pitcher of the Month for May 2021 and got the call to Triple-A Sacramento soon after. Martorano also played well enough to earn a promotion to the Sacramento River Cats by season’s end. They then returned to Richmond in 2022, where Frisbee set a single-game franchise record with 13 strikeouts on August 10th.

“I think that time we spent off the field allowed us to go on the field and have a game plan,” says Martorano. “We just went out there and executed, and I was his biggest fan, man. No one was pulling for him more than me, and to be the one putting the signs down for him, I felt a part of his success.”

After spending parts of three seasons as a battery for the Flying Squirrels from 2021 to 2023, both coaches wrapped up their playing days in 2025 and transitioned into coaching. Martorano is currently serving as an assistant for his alma mater, UNC-Chapel Hill, while Frisbee is working as a pitching instructor in the local area. Looking back on their careers, Martorano thinks they each possess a quality that helped them as players and will serve them going forward as coaches:

“If you're a good clubhouse guy, that can extend your career. And I think both of our careers probably went a couple of years longer because we brought value that was not just on the field. Matt does a great job of pouring into not only the players here at the ADP, but also back in his playing days with his teammates. And that transitions very well into coaching.”

Now, the pair is looking to teach the rising stars at the 13-and 14-and-under levels how to elevate their games as pitchers, catchers, and teammates. With Frisbee serving as Team Navy’s pitching coach and Martorano as a Team Navy assistant, they are working together once again and enjoying every minute.

“Yesterday we were calling pitches with each other in the dugout,” says Frisbee. “We were sitting there talking about this situation, and a player did exactly what we would have done, and it worked out for him. So, it's just neat to kind of relive some of those moments of listening to [Martorano] and trusting him behind the plate calling pitches.”

At the end of the day, however, the biggest joy for each coach comes from helping the players at ADP become the best versions of themselves.

“Our job here is to, yes, spend time together, but it's also to develop players and to prepare them to play 15U and 18U National Team baseball for Team USA,” says Martorano. “So, for us to just be a small little facilitator, that is a blessing.”

“It's such a full circle moment,” says Frisbee. “One day we're sitting there grinding in, let's say, Bowie, Maryland, when it's hot as crap. But now we're sitting here in a USA jersey, teaching the game of baseball, something that's given us so much.”

“That's the beauty of baseball.”