Identifying Cameron Maybin’s role with the Yankees going forward

The trade deadline may have come and gone, but when a Yankee goes deep, Cameron Maybin is on #HugWatch. Even DJ LeMahieu, who may be considered “old school” or reserved, loves a good hug from Cam. Maybin has become such a fun character in the clubhouse and with fans on social media. He’s a player whom everyone loves, and he’s been more than what the Yankees needed from them on the field.

When the veteran outfielder was acquired in late April, no one thought much of it. However, with injury after injury striking the Yankees’ outfield, Maybin was given his opportunity and he took advantage. Now that the postseason is a few weeks away, the Yankees will need to draft their October roster. While Maybin may have been an been looked at as a depth move in the beginning of the season, he’s now positioned to play in October.

In 70 games this season, Maybin is batting a .286/.364/.481 and owns an OPS of .844. All above-average numbers for someone who was acquired for cash. His defense has also been pretty solid, which could help him get a postseason spot over Clint Frazier, who has had rough outings in the field.

Maybin is also the only Yankee this year to play all three outfield positions. This not only provides great flexibility for him, but to the Yankees as a whole. With a sprint speed of 28.6 feet per second, he can be a key piece off the bench as a pinch runner in October for let’s say Giancarlo Stanton, and then easily slide into the outfield to play defense if needed.

As far as the outfield is concerned, there are different combinations the Yankees can assemble, but the choices have slimmed down a bit with Mike Tauchman and Aaron Hicks potentially both done for the year. Hypothetically speaking, let’s say the outfield will primarily be Aaron Judge in right, Brett Gardner in center, and Stanton in left with Maybin riding the bench. If Stanton were to be the designated hitter, however, Maybin would provide Aaron Boone with the comfort and confidence to run him out there. While Stanton is gearing up for his return, he has only played nine game this year, which may give Maybin the edge to play the field.

Whether or not Maybin ends up having a significant role in the playoffs or not, he will have a huge role in the clubhouse. His experience playing baseball in October should prove to be a big help to the younger guys. He even won World Series with the Astros in 2017 (sigh). He did not have much playing time during that run, but with him being in the league since ‘07, I’m sure he has plenty of advice, and hugs of course, to give to his teammates.

The 32-year-old will be ready if/when his number is called, but for now I’ll leave you with this: