After going 2-3 with a walk on Sunday, Mitch Maier raised his season triple slash line to .348/.483/.478. Maier is a good defensive player who can handle all three outfield positions. However, MITCH has started just four games this season, and he's still only come to the plate 29 times.
While Maier's success has come in a tiny sample, in a way that speaks to how well he has played. There's a documented negative effect on pinch-hitters, yet Mitch has hit.364/.462/.636 as a PH this year. I doubt it's been easy to hit well when you start once every three weeks either, but on the whole Mitch has played well. His batting average isn't going to stay this high, but he's taking his walks and has a good all around game.
With Jarrod Dyson now gone, there's no reason why Mitch shouldn't become a super-sub for the regular outfield trio of Gordon-Cabrera-Francoeur. Gordon has started 50 of 52 games. Melky has started 49 games. Francoeur has started 50 games. There's room for Maier to start two or three games a week, with no one's feelings getting hurt.
It sometimes seems as if Yost is in one of those roto leagues where you can only adjust your lineup once a week, so I don't think this will happen. As always with this regime, the rhetoric and the reality don't line up. Getz and Escobar play regularly because they're developing or learning or whatever. Chris Getz turns 28 this season, which doesn't matter. Kila didn't get the same treatment. I'm sure Brayan Pena will be burned alive in a postgame ceremony after today's loss. Dyson arguably needed regular playing time as well, but the Royals made a promise to Melky Cabrera five months ago, for no reason, and word is bond. For whatever reason, the Royals feel obligated to revive the careers of Francoeur and Cabrera, who aren't under long-term contracts. And on and on.
The outfield trio could use a dash or two of MITCH.