John Maine Stats & Scouting Report

IP	593
ERA	4.447
WHIP	1.356
BB/9	4.098
SO/9	7.573

Full name John Kevin Maine
Born 05/08/1981 in Fredericksburg, VA
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Charlotte
Debut 07/23/2004
Drafted in the 6th round (166th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2002.

View Draft Report

The 2001 Conference USA pitcher of the year, Maine saw his wins drop from 12 to five and his ERA rise from 3.82 to 5.61. Besides his performance, scouts also worry about his long arm action, which hindered his command and could lead to injury. He still has plenty of talent in his arm to tantalize a team in the first five rounds. The velocity on his fastball actually improved, rising to 89-93 mph, and he has a loose 6-foot-4, 185-pound build. His slider reached 88-89 mph last fall, though it flattened out this spring as his mechanics went awry. Maine seemed to be getting back on track when he one-hit Cincinnati and fanned 13 in seven innings, before he gave up a total of 15 runs in his final two starts.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Maine moved quickly through the organization in his first couple of years after being drafted, but he has stalled in his effort to break through from Triple-A to Baltimore. He made his big league debut in July 2004 and made it back last August, winning his first start with five shutout innings against Toronto and spending the rest of the season with the Orioles. Maine succeeds with plus fastball command, throwing at 90-91 mph with natural deception. He also uses a slider and changeup, occasionally mixing in a curveball as well. None of the pitches overmatches hitters, so Maine has to rely on location. He starts to struggle when he tries to get too fine with his pitches and catches too much of the plate. He also had trouble getting big league hitters to respect his complementary pitches. The Orioles tried to add veterans to their rotation in the offseason but had little success, so Maine will be in the big league mix during spring training. If he doesn't win a job in the rotation, he could pitch in long relief or go back to the Triple-A rotation.
The Orioles moved Maine aggressively in 2004, jumping him to Triple- A after just five Double-A starts. He struggled in his first two months at Ottawa (4.99 ERA) but started to come around afterward (2.89 ERA). The Twins shelled him when he made his major league debut in an emergency start in July. Maine succeeds more with command than pure stuff. He added a slider to give him four pitches, along with his fastball, curveball and changeup. He throws 90-91 mph with natural deception, and adds and subtracts from his fastball nicely. He's not afraid to work inside. None of Maine's pitches is overwhelming, which explains why he struggles when he moves up to a new level. He also needs to refine his command and throw quality strikes after learning that advanced hitters lay off balls out of the zone. Maine has a ceiling of a No. 3 starter, and probably a No. 4 or 5 guy on a first-division club. But he's a pitcher's pitcher and should get the most out of his ability.
Maine led the minors in strikeouts and opponent average (.177) in 2003. In his second high Class A start, he threw a seven-inning no-hitter against Winston-Salem and came within a hit batter of a perfect game. Maine's best pitch is a 90-92 mph fastball. He already has major league command of his heater and is able to throw it to both sides of the plate as well as up and down. His fastball also has great life, and the deception in his delivery makes it look even faster. Maine can strike hitters out with his fastball alone, and he threw it 75-90 percent of the time before 2003. He employed his curveball and changeup more last year, though he still needs to use and command them better. Maintaining consistent mechanics is a key. In his first high Class A start, Maine got knocked around a bit and told Frederick's staff that he did not want to be paid for his work that day. The no-hitter against Winston-Salem followed. It's that makeup that makes Maine a special pitcher and could get him to the big leagues as soon as 2004. He'll open at Double-A Bowie.
Maine was Conference USA's 2001 pitcher of the year, but he had a disappointing junior season and fell to the sixth round, a round that has been good to the Orioles. In addition to Maine, the organization found Bedard and Eli Whiteside as sixth-rounders in the last four years. The Orioles have brought in an intriguing group of college arms in the last few years, and Maine has the best raw stuff of the group. His fastball sits at 92-93 mph and can go higher, and he throws it with great sink. He also has a hard slider that's a great pitch when it's on. Maine has a big, loose frame, and he runs into problems when his mechanics get out of whack. His long arm action in college worried scouts and gave him command problems, but the Orioles say they haven't seen that from him as a pro. He needs to work on a changeup. A strong competitor with the stuff to back it up, Maine will open the season in high Class A. He could move through the organization quickly if he continues to dominate.

Minor League Top Prospects

Maine cruised through the minors with a 2.11 ERA before getting to Ottawa, where he found out just how disciplined Triple-A hitters are. He lost five of his first nine starts before he improved his command and got going again. His best pitch is a lively 90-92 mph fastball that he can work up, down and to both sides of the plate. He improved his curveball and changeup, giving him a solid three-pitch mix. "He has that great curveball that sometimes is a slow, late-breaker and sometimes it sweeps in on you," Brown said. "He didn't use the curveball much against us, but it was already in our heads enough that we were all messed up in our approach."
Maine was leading the league in ERA when he was promoted to high Class A in June. He has done nothing but dominate since the Orioles drafted him in the sixth round out of UNC Charlotte in 2002. After permitting a .172 average in his 2002 pro debut, Maine limited hitters to a .165 average in the Sally League with his 90-93 mph fastball and developing curveball. While Maine was overmatching the league, the Orioles challenged him to improve his secondary offerings. He became more efficient at throwing his breaking ball and changeup for strikes. Long and loose, Maine's breaking ball and delivery can be inconsistent, but both have come a long way since college.
After carving up the low Class A South Atlantic League, Maine made a bigger splash in his second CL start. He no-hit Winston-Salem in the second game of a doubleheader, one of his eight quality starts in 12 outings for Frederick. It's hard to believe this is the same pitcher who had a 5.61 ERA in his final season at UNC Charlotte in 2002. Since signing as a sixth-round pick, he has gone 15-6, 2.08, numbers more indicative of his stuff. He throws in the low 90s, and a scout who saw him in the SAL said his slider looked tighter after his promotion. His changeup also has improved.