Cameron Maybin – FantasySP Blog

Last Call On Cameron Maybin

Cameron Maybin has four games under his belt after being out with a wrist injury for nearly two months.

Analysis: Maybin has made a significant impact in his return. He has 4 stolen bases, 1 home run, 4 runs, 5 hits and 4 RBI in his first four games back. This is really good news considering Maybin was batting under .100 through ten games in April prior to the injury. We have to remember that Maybin has averaged 9 home runs and 33 stolen bases over the past two years… so we know he can contribute.

The Maybin hype is just getting started so it is time to pluck the twenty-six year old up off the wire now if you are in need of some speed and power potential. The runs should come with consistency after he climbs higher in the San Diego batting order although it has not been a problem thus far. His batting average should not be much of a concern going forward. He is a career .248 hitter and the sub .100 batting average was due to an extremely low BABIP. At the moment Maybin is available in 70-80% of fantasy leagues.

Losing Faith In Maybin?

Cameron Maybin is being dropped in nearly twenty percent of fantasy baseball leagues for no other reason than impatience.

Analysis: I can see why a .200 batting average could scare some owners but I cannot see why some are losing faith in Cameron Maybin. Despite the awful average Maybin has stolen eight bases, fifth best on all of baseball. Considering he had forty steals and nine homers last year we all need a little patience in his case. Maybin is only a career .250 hitter with a 25% strikeout rate, so there will be plenty of ups and downs during the season for the former Marlin and Tiger.

Cameron Maybin may not be hitting particularly well but he is getting on base as of late. Maybin has drawn five walks in his last four games. For an outfielder with a career 8.2% walk rate you have to love that he is still finding a way to get on base. I still expect numbers similar to last year’s line- .264 BA, 40 SB, 9 HR, 82 R, 40 RBI. He has some power but hitting in Petco isn’t exactly like hitting at Coors Field. Be patient and have some faith in the twenty-five year old, he is still incredibly raw.

Last Call On Desmond Jennings

With BJ Upton on the trading block, Desmond Jennings’ hot start for the Rays has the fantasy world buzzing.

Analysis: In Desmond Jennings’ first two games of his 2011 big league season he is 4-6 with two steals, a double, a triple and a walk. It has been a long time coming for Jennings and it took Carl Crawford to leave and BJ Upton on his way out to find an every day spot on the Tampa roster. Jennings is about as polished as a twenty-four year old with less than fifty big league plate appearances can be. In Triple A this year Jennings is hitting .275 with twelve homers and seventeen stolen bases in just eighty-nine games. He actually does project down the road very similar to numbers BJ Upton puts up with the expection of Upton’s poor batting average. Jennings is still available in about eighty percent of fantasy leagues and in two days it’s more than likely he will be unavailable.

Projection: Expect up to five homers, ten steals and a .270 batting average from the young speedster the rest of the season. His value is similar to Cameron Maybin.

Deep League Help- Cameron Maybin

Cameron Maybin is having his first solid year in the majors and it is largely going unnoticed.

Analysis: Despite missing some time in late May through mid June, Cameron Maybin is outperforming his ADP. The toolsy youngster has twelve stolen bases, thirty-six runs scored and has five home runs. I’m not concerned with his power at all, it is developing and he plays in the black hole known as Petco. He’s a speed dominant outfielder who in time will develop into a 20/20 stud, although batting average will never be a strength. Speaking of the present he certainly is showing signs of improvement at the plate. His strikeout rate is down from his two previous stops in the bigs and his walk rate(9.2%) is at a career high. He’s still having trouble with change ups but it isn’t that concerning when guys like Alfonso Soriano and Drew Stubbs struggle with it as well and are extremely successful ballplayers.

Projection: In time he will become a very good fantasy outfielder but for the time being he remains a solid player in deeper leagues. Expect five bombs, at least ten steals and a .250 batting average in Maybin’s remaining games.