What’s the Timetable For Maybin?
May 17, 2008
With the injuries and inconsistent play in the Marlins outfield, many fans are wondering if the club has any plans to call up twenty-one year old phenom Cameron Maybin . The wunderkind center-fielder, acquired from the Detroit Tigers in the Cabrera/Willis trade has been refining his skills with the double-A Carolina Mudcats where he was assigned after a promising but inconsistent spring.
Speedy and strong defensively, Maybin showed flashes of power but struggled at the plate. His struggles continued in Carolina where he hit only .225 in April with 37 strikeouts in 89 at-bats. He’s shown improvement in May hitting .255 and slugging his OPS up to .828 but strikeouts continue to plague him. In the Raleigh (NC) News-Observer, Mudcat manager Matt Raleigh had this to say about Maybin: “His base stealing has been pretty good,” Raleigh said. “His outfield play has been phenomenal. He can play defensive center field for anybody in the major leagues right now. His power is good. It’s just the consistency. The strikeouts are high — pitch recognition.”
At this point the Marlins have given no indication that they are worried about him. He’s only 21 and some scouts still expect him to get a call up later this year but right now what the Marlins need is offensive consistency from the center field position. While Maybin might be ready defensively to take over in center, his plate discipline needs to develop in a relatively low pressure environment. With the Marlins surprisingly on top of the NL East, it may not make sense to jeopardize the development of their top prospect by placing him in a situation where his production will be crucial to their continued success in 2008. Right now there’s hope for what many thought would be a wasted season. If the Marlins fade later on then they might reconsider bringing Maybin up, but he’s got to show the Marlins that he is making the most of his time in the minors and learning to become the kind of hitter they project him to be..
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