Maybin

Cameron Maybin, OF, Florida Marlins
Bats: R Throws: R HT: 6-3 WT: 200 DOB: April 4, 1987

The centerpiece prospect in the Miguel Cabrera trade, Maybin could be Florida's Opening Day center fielder. I think that is rushing things; he's not ready yet. He had major problems controlling the strike zone during his major league trial late last summer. This is hardly damning: he was just 20 years old, with all of six Double-A games under his belt. In the minors, Maybin showed a good walk rate. He struck out a lot, but his bat speed (and his running speed) kept his batting average high. His production in the Florida State League was excellent with a +23 percent OPS. He's also a very good center fielder. The only real negative I see, other than the elevated strikeout rate, is injuries. He had hamstring problems in '06, and a shoulder injury cost him a month of playing time in '07. His type of wiry-strong body is often prone to muscle pulls and cramps, and that could slow his development a bit. Now, for all of his success, there are some skeptics out there among the stathead community. Maybin hits the ball on the ground a lot, and while this enables him to beat out infield hits with his speed, it may slow his power development. Some people think it may stall his development altogether, although I don't buy that. I'm more worried about the strikeouts eating into his batting average if he is rushed, and the Marlins may very well rush him. If it were up to me, Maybin would go to Double-A to begin '08, with a promotion to Triple-A on tap in late June if he's playing well, then a chance to start in the majors in '09. In the long run, Maybin should be a 20-25 homer hitter with a high batting average, a solid OBP, and 30-40 steals, at least when he's younger. Grade A-.

OK, that's the current draft of the book comment for Cameron Maybin. We seem to have quite a few Maybin skeptics here, and I'm not really sure why. He looks really good to me.