Young Stud Maybin Can Help Fantasy Playoff Push

August 20, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Aaron Adams
Edited by Ryan Dodson

In an effort to shake up their offense the Detroit tigers recently made an intriguing move by promoting super prospect outfielder Cameron Maybin on Friday, Aug. 17, at the expense of slumping outfielder Craig Monroe. Maybin just turned 20 at the start of the season and was called up from Double-A after only six games at that level.

Getting To Know Maybin

The summer before his senior season at T.C. Roberson High School in North Carolina, Maybin earned the Connie Mack amateur league World Series batting title and MVP honors. His summer league play coupled with his strong senior season earned him the 2004 Baseball America youth player of the year honors, but due to fears of being un-signable, Maybin slid to the 10th overall pick in the 2005 draft. 

After being drafted, Maybin held out for the entire 2005 season, finally signing in September after months of rocky negotiations with the Tigers' front office. Maybin made his minor league debut in 2006 with their Class A affiliate in West Michigan eventually leading them on to win the Midwest League championship, earning him the Class A player of the year award. 

Maybin began the 2007 season at High-A Lakeland where he hit to the tune of a .304 average with 10 homers and 25 steals in 83 games earning him a promotion to Double-A Erie on Aug. 9. Maybin quickly adjusted after being promoted, batting .400 with four home runs in only 20 at-bats over six games. 

Maybin is a raw natural athlete who has both tremendous power and speed leading many scouts to compare his potential to that of an Eric Davis or Darryl Strawberry. Maybin is a plus defender with a very strong arm and good baseball instincts meaning he should be able to adapt to any of the outfield positions but would be best used in center or right field. 

Table: Cameron Maybin, OF, Detroit Tigers - Minor League Stats

Year	Level	AB	AVG	HR	Runs	RBI	SB	BB/K
2006	(A)	385	.304	9	59	69	27	50/116
2007	(High-A)	296	.304	10	58	44	25	43/83
2007	(AA)	20	.400	4	9	8	0	6/6

What Should You Expect this Season?

While Maybin has been labeled a can't-miss prospect, he has a mere year-and-a-half of professional experience, with only 20 at-bats at Double-A, and will probably need time to adapt to advanced pitching. Maybin was called up to provide more speed and athleticism to a team right in the thick of a playoff race. While Maybin will receive a bulk of the playing time in left field, he will have to perform to continue to stay in the starting lineup with slugger Marcus Thames behind him.

Maybin's long, strong, lean frame gives him a rare combination of power and speed, though it also gives him a large strike zone and long swing. This produces a high strikeout rate, and this rate should only increase as Maybin will be seeing advanced pitching for the first time. Maybin should receive at least 90 at-bats over the remainder of the season and could provide cheap steals and power numbers although his high strikeout rate will probably lead to a reduced average. 

It is very difficult to project exactly how well he will perform at this level due to a tremendously small sample size, but Maybin is a tremendously talented athlete that can be claimed off waivers when available. This makes him a low-risk, high-reward player for the duration of the season. Maybin is a must-add in AL-Only leagues and all keeper formats, but in mixed leagues it would be wise to take a wait-and-see approach. Maybin has the tools and ability to be a future fantasy stud although you should temper your expectations for the remainder of the season.

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Aaron Adams
Aaron has been with KFFL since 2007.

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