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

3 years ago 374

ANAHEIM — Jack Mayfield is yet getting the accidental to beryllium the doubters wrong, but helium doesn’t spot it successful those terms.

“It’s not astir proving radical wrong,” the Angels infielder said, “but astir proving radical right, the ones that believed successful you. That’s thing that I ever deliberation about.”

There person been plentifulness of skeptics of the 30-year-old, from erstwhile helium was undrafted aft his inferior and elder years astatine the University of Oklahoma, up until helium was fto spell by 4 organizations successful the span of six months.

The Angels, who were really 1 of the organizations that fto him go, got him backmost this summer, and yet gave him regular playing time. Within the past week, he’s go the superior shortstop, implicit José Iglesias. The Angels are giving Mayfield a longer look to spot if helium tin beryllium a portion of the future.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Mayfield, whose ascension connected the extent illustration has included a power from azygous No. 59 to the much respectable No. 9 aft Adam Eaton’s merchandise freed up the number. “I conscionable spell astir my concern the aforesaid mode … I’m conscionable enjoying the clip close now, due to the fact that you ne'er cognize what tin happen.”

Mayfield is producing too. He began playing astir each time connected July 10, and since past he’s posted a .232 mean with a .780 OPS. He has deed 9 homers successful conscionable 136 sheet appearances successful that span.

The large league mean OPS for a shortstop is .731, truthful if Mayfield could proceed to nutrient astatine this level it is imaginable that helium could clasp down the shortstop presumption aft Iglesias leaves arsenic a escaped agent. That would let the Angels to allocate much resources for pitching upgrades this winter.

That said, it seems much apt the Angels would presumption Mayfield arsenic a inferior subordinate who could bash conscionable what he’s done this year: filling successful astatine second, 3rd and shortstop.

The in-house alternatives are Luis Rengifo, a 24-year-old who has yet to find occurrence successful a fistful of big-league opportunities, and Mike Stefanic, a 25-year-old who has performed good astatine Triple-A this twelvemonth but inactive has not seen the large leagues astatine all.

Whatever happens with Mayfield, the past fewer weeks person surely changed the mode he’s viewed.

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

Mayfield has ne'er gotten a accidental to play regularly successful the majors earlier this.

He reached the large leagues successful 2019 with the Houston Astros, who gave him thing but a level summons erstwhile each different squad had passed connected him successful the 2012 and 2013 drafts.

“It was decidedly a small heartbreaking,” Mayfield said of going undrafted. “That’s what each kid wants, to spot their sanction connected the draught boards. And I didn’t spot excavation connected there. I conjecture it benignant of fueled maine a small bit.”

Although Mayfield defied the likelihood by adjacent reaching the large leagues, helium deed .170 with a .481 OPS successful snippets of playing clip for division-winning Astros teams successful 2019 and 2020.

Then the carousel began.

The Atlanta Braves claimed Mayfield connected waivers implicit the winter. Mayfield, his wife, their 3-year-old lad and month-old girl packed up and drove from their location successful Texas to Florida for outpouring grooming with the Braves.

Mayfield wore a Braves azygous for precisely 1 time earlier the Braves sold him to the Angels.

“That was devastating astatine the time,” Mayfield said. “But things hap the mode they’re meant to happen.”

Mayfield appeared successful conscionable 2 games with the Angels successful April earlier helium was placed connected waivers again, claimed by the Seattle Mariners. He played successful 11 games with the Mariners successful May and June earlier they waived him, and the Angels got him back.

“The information that they wanted maine back, knowing what I was susceptible of doing, was decidedly comforting to me,” Mayfield said.

Once Anthony Rendon got wounded successful aboriginal July, Mayfield’s champion accidental yet arrived. He began playing 3rd basal astir each day. And past helium began to marque a small sound with his bat, including back-to-back games with homers July 22-23 successful Minnesota.

“He started hitting those location runs successful Minnesota, and I was acrophobic that that was going to enactment him successful a atrocious mode offensively wherever that’s each helium would effort to do,” Maddon said. “But what I recovered retired is helium truly has a beardown swing.”

Mayfield, who had ever been known much for his defense, besides made a fewer spectacular plays astatine third. As the Angels’ play began to gaffe distant and the absorption shifted much toward the future, Maddon wanted to get him much reps astatine shortstop.

The likelihood are inactive against Mayfield parlaying this accidental into an expanded relation arsenic a 31-year-old successful 2022, but Maddon said he’s remaining unfastened minded.

“Sometimes idiosyncratic is benignant of a precocious bloomer,” Maddon said. “Stuff similar that happens. Guys request opportunity. You mature to the constituent wherever you don’t freak retired astir things. That’s wherever he’s at.”