John Mayberry Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1386
AVG	.235
OBP	.299
SLG	.421
HR	56

Full name John Claiborn Mayberry Jr.
Born 12/21/1983 in Kansas City, MO
Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Stanford
Debut 05/23/2009
Drafted in the 1st round (19th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2005 (signed for $1,525,000).

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The most recent first-round draft pick to go unsigned, Mayberry has an excellent shot of becoming one of the few players in draft history to be picked in the first round twice. It last happened last year, when Vanderbilt lefthander Jeremy Sowers was picked by the Indians after spurning the Reds three years earlier. Mayberry hit .333-16-62 as an all-Pacific-10 Conference performer in 2004, but was hitting a more pedestrian .307-6-45 this year--numbers that belie his considerable tools and upside. At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Mayberry has considerable power potential but launches a tape-measure home run only occasionally in games. He shows excellent power in batting practice, but generally has been handled by quality college pitching. Most of his power is to the opposite field, reflective of the hitting style preached at Stanford. Scouts say he needs to shorten his swing because he can be busted inside--something he has worked to correct in the last year. All his hitting flaws are correctable, but it may take him 1,500 at-bats in the minor leagues. Mayberry has the athletic ability and arm strength to be an average corner outfielder, but he is a superior defensive first baseman--not to mention an inviting target for infielders. He runs well. Mayberry's father was also a first-round pick, going sixth overall to the Astros in 1967. He played in the big leagues from 1968-82 with the Astros, Royals, Blue Jays and Yankees, and is a member of the Royals hall of fame.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Mayberry came to the Phillies in a November trade of first-round picks who haven't worked out. Philadelphia sent toolsy center fielder Greg Golson to the Rangers for Mayberry, and Golson would have ranked higher on this list than Mayberry because he's a superior defensive player. The Phillies, though, were looking for corner bats with power, and Mayberry in some ways is similar to Michael Taylor, his former teammate at Stanford. Taylor runs better, is a bit more athletic and has started incorporating his lower half into his swing better than Mayberry--who continues to get tied up by hard stuff inside. Mayberry has the pedigree to be a big leaguer--his father John was an all-star first baseman with the Royals in the 1970s, and he himself was a first-round pick twice, in 2002 (Mariners), when he didn't sign, and in 2005 out of Stanford. Mayberry has a plus throwing arm in right field and power for the position, with solid athletic ability and running speed. He crushes lefthanders (1.093 OPS in Triple-A) but fails to make adjustments against righties, as he gets worked inside hard, and away with soft stuff. After hitting 30 homers in 2007 and making progress in the Arizona Fall League, Mayberry plummeted to 20 homers in 2008. The Phillies hope a change of scenery unlocks his potential, and he'll anchor the outfield at Lehigh Valley in 2009.
During his college career at Stanford, Mayberry played mostly first base like his father, two-time major league all-star John Mayberry. The Rangers drafted him in the first round in 2005 knowing that it would take time to refine his impressive but raw set of tools, and the progress has been slow but steady. He showed power but struggled to make consistent contact while hitting in the three-hole in the first half of the year at Bakersfield, but he was able to relax after a promotion to a more competitive Frisco team, where he batted lower in the lineup. Mayberry has well-above-average raw power that he is still learning to tap into--he's made progress shortening his swing, but he's still vulnerable on the inner half and struggles to authoritatively pull the ball with consistency. He has above-average arm strength but a slow release because of his long levers. Accordingly, he's a long strider and a fringe-average runner underway, but he lacks first-step quickness, making him a fringe-average defender in right field. He's always going to strike out a lot and never will hit for a high average, but he could be an everyday big league right fielder who hits 35 home runs. He'll likely head back to Double-A in 2008.
The son of a former all-star and somewhat of a surprise pick at No. 19 overall in the 2005 draft, Mayberry pulled a hamstring in spring training and struggled in the first half of his first full season. After changing his batting practice routine and working to shorten his swing, he improved against inside fastballs and hit .304 with 11 homers in the final two months. He kept it going in Hawaii Winter Baseball, leading all hitters with a .545 slugging percentage. Long and athletic, Mayberry's raw tools are exceptional, and he's starting to tap into his mammoth raw power, though the Rangers want him to improve his overall hitting with the belief his power will come later. Mayberry has good speed, a plus arm and is getting more comfortable in right field. The Rangers knew Mayberry would be a long-term project when they drafted him, and despite his progress he still needs to improve his timing and patience at the plate, as well as his ability to pull the ball. More of a first baseman in college, he's working on his jumps and throwing accuracy in the outfield. Mayberry's exceptional tools could make him a superstar if he figures everything out. He'll likely advance one level a year, making high Class A Bakersfield his next step.
Mayberry first joined his father John as a first-round pick when the Mariners drafted him 28th overall out of high school in 2002. After three years at Stanford, he went 19th in the 2005 draft and signed with the Rangers for $1.525 million. Now the goal is to follow in his father's footsteps and become an all-star. The best college athlete in the 2005 draft, Mayberry earns 70s on the 20-80 scouting scale for both his raw power and his arm strength. Though he was a slick-fielding first baseman in college, the Rangers think he can be at least an average defender in right field. His speed is above-average. Mayberry never got comfortable at the plate at Stanford, tinkering with his stance too often and trying too hard to hit to the opposite field. His swing is long and lacks rhythm and balance. He shows light-tower power in batting practice but has to cheat on fastballs to generate power in game situations. Many scouts have doubts he'll be a productive major league hitter. Defensively, he needs to work on his jumps. Mayberry is a classic boom-or-bust first-round pick. His upside is enormous, but it will take a lot of time and hard work on his swing for him to reach his potential. He'll spend six weeks at the Rangers' Arizona complex before spring training working on his stroke, then will open the season at low Class A Clinton.

Minor League Top Prospects

Like the first four players on this list, Mayberry is an outfielder and a 2005 first-round pick. Though he's the lone college player among the group and the son of a former all-star, Mayberry has a surprising lack of refinement. Athletic and graceful, the 6-foot-6, 230-pounder has the raw power to hit 35-40 homers per year. But his swing is long and he has holes on the inner half of the plate, so there are concerns as to how productive he'll be against quality pitching. He did make adjustments and recognize pitches better as the season progressed, and created cause for optimism by batting .304 with 11 of his 21 homers over the final two months. "The physical package is just what you're looking for from a scouting standpoint," an American League scout said. "He looks like Dave Winfield, he's a great athlete and he'll the hit the ball as far as anyone you'll see. But he's not as polished as you'd think, and while he has impact power, how usable is it going to be?" Mayberry played a lot of first base at Stanford, so he's learning the outfield. He has the speed and plus arm to play right field, but he needs to improve his jumps and angles on flyballs and his accuracy on throws.
No player entered the league with more expectations that Mayberry, a striking physical specimen twice chosen in the first round and the son of a former all-star. He shifted to the outfield after rarely moving off first base at Stanford and finished one off the home run lead with 11. He does have several adjustments to make, however. His long arms and long swing left him vulnerable against breaking balls. He hit .239 against righthanders and had to cheat for power, looking for fastballs whenever he got ahead in the count. Mayberry's 4.3 speed to first base and above-average, accurate arm mean he could play an acceptable right field at some point, though he's still very raw and learning to get good jumps and reads. He reminded Decker of a young Derrek Lee. "He's learning balance and rhythm in his swing," Riddoch said. "He just didn't have a rhythm in there from start to go, but he's improved during the season. He has great power but has not shown that this summer. In B.P., he'll lose 50 balls every day. But that's B.P."