OC Register: Angels’ Jack Mayfield, let go by 4 teams since last winter, seizes opportunity

[AngelsWin.com]

ANAHEIM — Jack Mayfield is finally getting the opportunity to prove the doubters wrong, except he doesn’t see it in those terms.

“It’s not about proving people wrong,” the Angels infielder said, “but about proving people right, the ones that believed in you. That’s something that I always think about.”

There have been plenty of skeptics of the 30-year-old, from when he was undrafted after his junior and senior years at the University of Oklahoma, up until he was let go by four organizations in the span of six months.

The Angels, who were actually one of the organizations that let him go, got him back this summer, and finally gave him regular playing time. Within the past week, he’s become the primary shortstop, over José Iglesias. The Angels are giving Mayfield a longer look to see if he can be a part of the future.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Mayfield, whose ascension on the depth chart has included a switch from uniform No. 59 to the more respectable No. 9 after Adam Eaton’s release freed up the number. “I just go about my business the same way … I’m just enjoying the time right now, because you never know what can happen.”

Mayfield is producing too. He began playing almost every day on July 10, and since then he’s posted a .232 average with a .780 OPS. He has hit nine homers in just 136 plate appearances in that span.

The major league average OPS for a shortstop is .731, so if Mayfield could continue to produce at this level it is possible that he could hold down the shortstop position after Iglesias leaves as a free agent. That would allow the Angels to allocate more resources for pitching upgrades this winter.

That said, it seems more likely the Angels would view Mayfield as a utility player who could do just what he’s done this year: filling in at second, third and shortstop.

The in-house alternatives are Luis Rengifo, a 24-year-old who has yet to find success in a handful of big-league opportunities, and Mike Stefanic, a 25-year-old who has performed well at Triple-A this year but still has not seen the big leagues at all.

Whatever happens with Mayfield, the past few weeks have certainly changed the way he’s viewed.

“He’s opening a lot of eyes right now,” Manager Joe Maddon said.

Mayfield has never gotten a chance to play regularly in the majors before this.

He reached the big leagues in 2019 with the Houston Astros, who gave him nothing but a plane ticket when every other team had passed on him in the 2012 and 2013 drafts.

“It was definitely a little heartbreaking,” Mayfield said of going undrafted. “That’s what every kid wants, to see their name on the draft boards. And I didn’t see mine on there. I guess it kind of fueled me a little bit.”

Although Mayfield defied the odds by even reaching the big leagues, he hit .170 with a .481 OPS in snippets of playing time for division-winning Astros teams in 2019 and 2020.

Then the carousel began.

The Atlanta Braves claimed Mayfield on waivers over the winter. Mayfield, his wife, their 3-year-old son and month-old daughter packed up and drove from their home in Texas to Florida for spring training with the Braves.

Mayfield wore a Braves uniform for exactly one day before the Braves sold him to the Angels.

“That was devastating at the time,” Mayfield said. “But things happen the way they’re meant to happen.”

Mayfield appeared in just two games with the Angels in April before he was placed on waivers again, claimed by the Seattle Mariners. He played in 11 games with the Mariners in May and June before they waived him, and the Angels got him back.

“The fact that they wanted me back, knowing what I was capable of doing, was definitely comforting to me,” Mayfield said.

Once Anthony Rendon got hurt in early July, Mayfield’s best opportunity finally arrived. He began playing third base almost every day. And then he began to make a little noise with his bat, including back-to-back games with homers July 22-23 in Minnesota.

“He started hitting those home runs in Minnesota, and I was concerned that that was going to put him in a bad way offensively where that’s all he would try to do,” Maddon said. “But what I found out is he really has a strong swing.”

Mayfield, who had always been known more for his defense, also made a few spectacular plays at third. As the Angels’ season began to slip away and the focus shifted more toward the future, Maddon wanted to get him more reps at shortstop.

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The odds are still against Mayfield parlaying this opportunity into an expanded role as a 31-year-old in 2022, but Maddon said he’s remaining open minded.

“Sometimes somebody is kind of a late bloomer,” Maddon said. “Stuff like that happens. Guys need opportunity. You mature to the point where you don’t freak out about things. That’s where he’s at.”

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP Shohei Ohtani, 8-1, 3.00) vs. Rangers (RHP Glenn Otto, 0-0, 0.00), 6:38 p.m. Friday, Bally Sports West, 830 AM.

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[T.G.]

He's a good story, but I'm still skeptical.  Maybe I shouldn't be, but I am.

[jsnpritchett]

13 minutes ago, True Grich said:

He's a good story, but I'm still skeptical.  Maybe I shouldn't be, but I am.

You absolutely should be.

[Chuck]

He's 30 years old and having some success, but not to the point of giving him a starting job. 

If anything, he should be our utility infielder next season. Or at least let him and Rengifo battle it out for the job. 

What is annoying to me is why we didn't release Jose Iglesias. I would have used this final month to rotate Stefanic, Rengifo and Mayfield between two positions. 

While Gosselin has been a solid fill in, I don't see a future with him on this club honestly. 

[DMVol]

1 minute ago, Chuckster70 said:

He's 30 years old and having some success, but not to the point of giving him a starting job. 

If anything, he should be our utility infielder next season. Or at least let him and Rengifo battle it out for the job. 

What is annoying to me is why we didn't release Jose Iglesias. I would have used this final month to rotate Stefanic, Rengifo and Mayfield between two positions. 

While Gosselin has been a solid fill in, I don't see a future with him on this club honestly. 

They could still release him, and call up Stefanic.....

[totdprods]

Could be that it's a foregone conclusion Minasian will add Stefanic to the 40-man this winter since he's R5-eligible, and he wants the MLB playing time to be divvied up by Iglesias, Rengifo, Gosselin, Mayfield, maybe eventually Rojas and Wong too, to determine which of them he should prioritize keeping/cutting/re-signing/using in trades this winter.

I know that might seem a little counter-intuitive (why not see if Stefanic can cut it now?) but by waiting to add him until this winter, maybe you get more control/option years, etc. Maybe it's better for his long-term picture that he get everyday playing time in AAA than splitting here in Anaheim.

Edited September 2, 2021 by totdprods

[Chuck]

Just for a fun exercise, can someone line up Jack Mayfield's stats since the All Star Break vs. the impending SS's (Baez, Seager, Correa, Story)?

[jsnpritchett]

1 minute ago, Chuckster70 said:

Just for a fun exercise, can someone line up Jack Mayfield's stats since the All Star Break vs. the impending SS's (Baez, Seager, Correa, Story)?

Mayfield: .242/.295/.517 9 HR, 21 RBI, 130 plate appearances

Baez: .255/.293/.436 5 HR, 16 RBI, 116 plate appearances

Seager: .276/.366/.457 3 HR, 14 RBI 123 plate appearances

Correa: .255/.339/.409 4 HR, 17 RBI, 171 plate appearances

Story: .243/.333/.486 7 HR, 20 RBI, 165 plate appearances

So he has more HR and RBI and a higher slugging % than any of them, while ranking in the middle in terms of plate appearances.  4th out of 5 in OBP, last in batting avg.

[BTH]

50 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

What is annoying to me is why we didn't release Jose Iglesias. I would have used this final month to rotate Stefanic, Rengifo and Mayfield between two positions. 

While Gosselin has been a solid fill in, I don't see a future with him on this club honestly. 

They can still release José Iglesias, but yeah, I don't see why they haven't released him yet.

I disagree about Gosselin. I think he can have a role next year as a RH bench bat who can play 4 positions (1B/2B/3B/LF) and can play 1B against tough lefties, as he crushes LHP and Walsh doesn't.

[jsnpritchett]

2 minutes ago, Trendon said:

They can still release José Iglesias, but yeah, I don't see why they haven't released him yet.

I disagree about Gosselin. I think he can have a role next year as a RH bench bat who can play 4 positions (1B/2B/3B/LF) and can play 1B against tough lefties, as he crushes LHP and Walsh doesn't.

The more playing time Gosselin has gotten, the less effective he's been--and his lefty/righty splits aren't nearly as good as they were early on.  He's certainly hitting lefties better than Walsh, but he's down to .282/.345/.388 against lefties (vs. .270/.319/.365 against righties).

[BTH]

I really think they need to DFA José Iglesias. He's just taking up space. Even if he's just a bench player and start 1-2 times a week, that's taking up playing time Rengifo could get.

I'd DFA José Iglesias and have Walsh, Fletcher, Rengifo, Mayfield, and Gosselin split time between the 5 infield spots.

[BTH]

2 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

The more playing time Gosselin has gotten, the less effective he's been--and his lefty/righty splits aren't nearly as good as they were early on.  He's certainly hitting lefties better than Walsh, but he's down to .282/.345/.388 against lefties (vs. .270/.319/.365 against righties).

That's true, though his slash line vs. RHP is still better than Walsh's, which is .166/.193/.352.

Ideally, you'd have a better option at 1B vs. LHP than Gosselin, but obviously the Angels need to utilize most of their resources to pitching.

[Chuck]

24 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

Mayfield: .242/.295/.517 9 HR, 21 RBI, 130 plate appearances

Baez: .255/.293/.436 5 HR, 16 RBI, 116 plate appearances

Seager: .276/.366/.457 3 HR, 14 RBI 123 plate appearances

Correa: .255/.339/.409 4 HR, 17 RBI, 171 plate appearances

Story: .243/.333/.486 7 HR, 20 RBI, 165 plate appearances

So he has more HR and RBI and a higher slugging % than any of them, while ranking in the middle in terms of plate appearances.  4th out of 5 in OBP, last in batting avg.

Thank you!! 

[Angel Oracle]

46 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

Mayfield: .242/.295/.517 9 HR, 21 RBI, 130 plate appearances

Baez: .255/.293/.436 5 HR, 16 RBI, 116 plate appearances

Seager: .276/.366/.457 3 HR, 14 RBI 123 plate appearances

Correa: .255/.339/.409 4 HR, 17 RBI, 171 plate appearances

Story: .243/.333/.486 7 HR, 20 RBI, 165 plate appearances

So he has more HR and RBI and a higher slugging % than any of them, while ranking in the middle in terms of plate appearances.  4th out of 5 in OBP, last in batting avg.

And those other four won’t only cost a million or so per season.

Try 20-30 times that.

The signing that scares me is Baez, with the Maddon connection.   Although it sounds like the Cubs want to bring him back long term.   Please!   Do so, remove Arte’s temptation.

Edited September 2, 2021 by Angel Oracle

[Chuck]

If I'm spending any money on a free agent SS, after of which we've bolstered our rotation and bullpen, it's Marcus Semien or bust. 

[T.G.]

6 hours ago, jsnpritchett said:

Mayfield: .242/.295/.517 9 HR, 21 RBI, 130 plate appearances

Baez: .255/.293/.436 5 HR, 16 RBI, 116 plate appearances

Seager: .276/.366/.457 3 HR, 14 RBI 123 plate appearances

Correa: .255/.339/.409 4 HR, 17 RBI, 171 plate appearances

Story: .243/.333/.486 7 HR, 20 RBI, 165 plate appearances

So he has more HR and RBI and a higher slugging % than any of them, while ranking in the middle in terms of plate appearances.  4th out of 5 in OBP, last in batting avg.

 Now make sandwiches for all of us.

Edited September 3, 2021 by True Grich

[beatlesrule]

He has a 0.6 bWAR.

[Angel Oracle]

Pass on Baez, especially the thumbs down BS.

Why pay a .302 career OBP big money?

Edited September 3, 2021 by Angel Oracle