Marlins Need Progress From Maybin

When the Marlins traded Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers for Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin last offseason, they hoped Miller and Maybin would come along well by now.

It hasn't happened so far for the both of them.

Miller and Maybin showed their potential in spurts, but often times, they struggled, and that's why the team assigned them to the minors.

While Miller continues to work on his command, the Marlins are giving Maybin a chance to be an everyday player for them by calling him up few days ago.

This time, he needs to get the job done.

It's time for the Marlins to get something out of that trade. It's been a year now, and they have nothing to show for it, with Cabrera hitting home runs for the Tigers while a couple of former Tiger prospects try to establish themselves.

The Marlins sent Maybin to the minors on May 10 because he couldn't hit, and he struck out 31 times.

He showed zero plate discipline and intelligence when he was batting, and that's why his strikeout ratio was high.

Maybin's problem stems from trying to hit the ball out of the park instead of hitting the ball near the outfield walls. This happens with young hitters when they are trying to establish themselves as players.

It takes at least three or four years until a young player gets it.

People can call the Marlins out for being impatient with Maybin, but when he contributes nothing to the team, he is better served working on his game in the minors, where there is no scrutiny.

Maybin performed well last September, to the point that he actually made an appearance on the MLB Network days after the network made its debut. They were promoting the young stars of the game when MLB Tonight made its debut on the fledgling network, and the executives felt Maybin was that guy.

Unfortunately, he could not build from that success late last season.  It probably was too soon for him to be an everyday player.

Now, the one-time Tigers prospect is going to try again.

This time, he claims he learned a lot from his time in New Orleans (Marlins Triple A affiliate), and he would be better for it.

That's all well and good, but he can only mean what he says by applying what he learned when he is batting.

Last night was a good start for him. He had two hits against the Braves, and he hit the ball all the way to the outfield a couple of times.

What stood out was his ability to have a good eye on the ball. He knew when not to swing at a pitch that was clearly a ball.

If Maybin can do that on a consistent basis starting next season, he won't be making those trips to New Orleans anymore.

The centerfielder of the future will have to settle with being a bench player right now, and it may be a good thing for him in his young career.

With the Marlins trying to survive in the pennant race, Fredi Gonzalez needs to stick with the players that help put the team in the race throughout the summer.

Maybin needs to earn his way to being an everyday player, and he probably will have to do it in spring training.

He is 22 years old, so there's time for him to grow.

What the Marlins need is for him to grow up fast.