Remembering Cameron Maybin’s 2015 with the Atlanta Braves

The 15-year veteran and one-time Atlanta Braves outfielder announced his retirement from baseball yesterday.

Yesterday, former Atlanta Braves outfielder Cameron Maybin announced on social media that he would be retiring from baseball, a game he has played since he was four years old.

Maybin finishes his career with a respectable .254/.323/.374 slash-line with 72 home runs, 354 RBIs, and 27 hits shy of 1,000.

The Asheville, NC native was drafted 10th overall in 2005 by the Detroit Tigers. Following his rookie season in 2007, he was traded to the Florida Marlins as part of a deal that sent Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers.

Maybin spent three seasons with the Marlins, followed by four seasons with the San Diego Padres. The day before the 2015 season began, however, Maybin found himself on the roster of the Atlanta Braves.

In a now-infamous trade, the Braves sent All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel and the fat contract of Melvin Upton Jr. to San Diego in exchange for Maybin, Carlos Quentin, prospects Matt Wisler and Jordon Paroubeck, and the 41st overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft.

Who did the Braves spend that pick on? A young Mississippi slugger by the name of Austin Riley.

That trade would eventually pay off in helping the Braves win the World Series six years later, but in 2015, the team was in no place to compete for a championship. They had just been gutted after a busy offseason of trades, trades, and more trades, leading to a 67-95 record for the year.

Atlanta ranked dead last in all of MLB in home run and RBI totals that season. They also had a team ERA of 4.41, good enough for 27th out of 30 in the league. Pat yourself on the back if you faithfully endured that season.

Despite the rough year, Cameron Maybin turned in one of the best seasons in his career. He played in 141 games (mostly in centerfield) and slashed .267/.327/.370 with an OPS of .697. He ranked second on the team with 10 home runs and 59 RBIs while also leading the team with 23 stolen bases.

Former Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez had this to say about Maybin after he hit a walk-off home run against the Diamondbacks in August of 2015:

"“I know there’s still many games to play, but this guy can defend. I think two days ago we were talking about how much he impacts the game defensively and offensively. He can steal you a bag, hit you a double, base hit, and if you make a mistake, hit it out of the ballpark.”"

Following the 2015 season, Maybin would be traded back to Detroit for pitchers Ian Krol and Gabe Speier. He bounced around the league for the next few years and ended up winning a World Series ring with the Houston Astros in 2017.

Despite playing just one season in Atlanta, fans like myself remember the impact he made on the team that year. He was a consistent performer in a year that saw lots of call-ups, midseason trades, and random players you don’t remember anymore playing for the Braves. We wish him the best in his retirement and the next chapter in his life.