AB | 135 |
---|---|
AVG | .178 |
OBP | .268 |
SLG | .252 |
HR | 2 |
- Full name Luke Richard Maile
- Born 02/06/1991 in Edgewood, KY
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Kentucky
- Debut 09/01/2015
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Drafted in the 8th round (272nd overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2012 (signed for $133,200).
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Maile is the biggest power threat on a Kentucky team that won its first 22 games and led the Southeastern Conference for much of the regular season. A 6-foot-3, 220-pound righthanded hitter, Maile has good strength and made some needed adjustments at the plate this year without compromising his solid pop. He has shortened his swing, made more consistent contact and caught up to better fastballs. He has good patience at the plate. Offense definitely is the strength of Maile's game, and scouts remain unconvinced that he can catch regularly in pro ball. He has shared duties behind the plate the last two years with Michael Williams while also seeing extensive time at first base. Maile has average arm strength but a long release, and he doesn't look pretty as a receiver. To his credit, he did throw out 56 percent of basestealers during the regular season. He also moves well enough to make left field a possible destination.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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After hitting over .300 and swatting 12 home runs as a junior at Kentucky, Maile was an appealing option because of his up-the-middle defense and perceived offensive upside. He steadily rose up the ladder, going from 2012 eighth-round pick to the majors in 2015. Maile spent most of the 2015 season at Triple-A Durham, where he progressed defensively and earned a September callup. Maile's best tools are defensive. A fine pitch-framer, Maile has above-average receiving ability with smooth hands and good agility, especially for his size, and his above-average arm strength helps him control the running game. He threw out 35 percent of basestealers across the game's two highest levels in 2015. Offense has become a secondary part of Maile's game. He has pull power and some strength in his swing, but he has struggled against quality pitching, rarely getting to the power he showed as an amateur, and most evaluators grade his hit tool as well below-average. He probably will to return to Durham in 2016 and profiles as a backup catcher unless his bat improves. -
Maile has made impressive strides in his development since being deemed an offensive-oriented receiver coming out of Kentucky in 2012. Strong hands make Maile a potential above-average receiver who frames pitches and handles a staff well, though his 11 passed balls led the Double-A Southern League. His arm also earns above-average grades with accuracy and carry on his throws; he threw out 32 percent of opposing basestealers and could improve on that with a quicker release. Maile runs enough for a catcher and has some offensive upside, with good pull power that has yet to translate consistently to games. He was a part-time catcher at Kentucky and has caught just 186 games in nearly three pro seasons, including a stint in the Arizona Fall League. Maile has to beat Justin O'Conner to the majors to be the Rays' catcher of the future. He's slated to return to Triple-A Durham in 2015 after joining the Bulls during the International League playoffs.
Draft Prospects
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Maile is the biggest power threat on a Kentucky team that won its first 22 games and led the Southeastern Conference for much of the regular season. A 6-foot-3, 220-pound righthanded hitter, Maile has good strength and made some needed adjustments at the plate this year without compromising his solid pop. He has shortened his swing, made more consistent contact and caught up to better fastballs. He has good patience at the plate. Offense definitely is the strength of Maile's game, and scouts remain unconvinced that he can catch regularly in pro ball. He has shared duties behind the plate the last two years with Michael Williams while also seeing extensive time at first base. Maile has average arm strength but a long release, and he doesn't look pretty as a receiver. To his credit, he did throw out 56 percent of basestealers during the regular season. He also moves well enough to make left field a possible destination.