Marlins’ Maybin caps day with a blast

Cameron Maybin.

If you’re a diehard baseball fan, you’ve probably heard of him. If you’re just a fringe fan, his name is one you need to learn.

Maybin, a 20-year-old native of Arden, N.C., just might be baseball’s hottest prospect. For sure, his performance on the first day of my annual trek to spring training in Florida on Thursday was easily the best I saw.

With the Florida Marlins trailing the Washington Nationals 1-0 in the top of the ninth inning, Maybin came off the bench and hit a two-run homer to give the Fish a 2-1 win.

Maybin’s homer was a 400-foot missile the opposite way that cleared the fence just to the right of dead center field.

Maybin, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound center fielder, is a five-tool player. That is, he hits for average, hits for power, runs well, fields well and has a strong arm.
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In 10 spring games, Maybin is batting .333 (8-for-24) with two doubles, three homers, eight RBI and a stolen base.

Maybin was the 10th overall pick in the 2005 draft by the Detroit Tigers. After holding out all summer and missing the entire season that year, Maybin signed with the Tigers in September and received a $2.65 million signing bonus.

Maybin opened the 2007 season in the Class A Florida State league where he batted .304 with 10 homers in 83 games. After being promoted to the Double-A Eastern League, he belted four homers in six games, earning him a jump to the majors.

In Maybin’s second major-league game, he singled, homered and stole a base off Roger Clemens at Yankee Stadium. Clemens later responded by coming up and in with a fastball that caught Maybin on the arm.

On Dec. 5, Detroit traded Maybin and five other top prospects to the Marlins for slugging third baseman Miguel Cabrera and starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis.

Maybin, I think, is the real deal. It’s one thing to watch a guy play on TV. But when you come to spring training and study a player, you can really get a feel for how good that player is or has the potential to be.

Maybin is a lock to be the Marlins’ center fielder on opening day. It’ll be fun watching the rookie season of one of the most exciting players I’ve seen in a while unfold.

Joining me on this spring training trip are assistant sports editor Mark Haselden, one of our stringers, Matt Owens, and one of Matt’s friends, Mark Roberts. It’s the first spring training trip for those three guys, and it’s very cool to see these guys getting their first tastes.

In our three days down here, we’re seeing five games. Before watching Maybin’s ninth-inning blast last night in Viera, spring home of the Nationals, we watched the St. Louis Cardinals defeat the New York Mets 6-5 in 10 innings in Jupiter, which is the shared spring home of the Cardinals and Marlins.

While en route to Jupiter on I-95 south Thursday morning, we stopped by Dodgertown and watched Dodger pitchers and infielders take pitchers fielding practice. For those who don’t know, PFP is pitchers covering first base on balls hit to the right side of the infield, pitchers starting double plays with throws to second on balls hit back to the mound, etc., etc.

Today, we’ll see the Cleveland Indians at the Nationals at 1:05 p.m. and the Tigers at the Houston Astros at the Astros’ spring home in Kissimmee at 7:05 p.m.

On Saturday, we’ll catch the Tampa Bay Rays at the Atlanta Braves at the Braves’ Disneyworld spring home in Lake Buena Vista at 1:05 p.m. before driving back to Florence.

Three days, five games, nine teams. A great primer for what I think will be another great summer of baseball.

In addition to today, look for blogs from Mark Haselden and me Saturday and Sunday.

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