Kevin Maitan

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #21 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Maitan's stock has fallen dramatically since the Braves signed him as a 16-year-old, with concerns about his work ethic, poor recognition of secondary pitches, inability to make consistent contact and overall defense to blame. The Angels in Dec. 2017 gave him an additional $2.2 million after he was declared a free agent due to the Braves international bonus scandal. In his first season with his new organization, he committed 18 errors in 21 games at shortstop and 14 errors in 40 games at third base, with his occasionally out-of-whack footwork leading to fielding miscues and inaccurate throws.
  
  Scouting Report: Maitan is big-bodied with bad weight, but he's still strong for his age. His thick lower half provides a foundation for plus raw power, and he showed the ability to adjust his offensive approach to get to it. He chased a lot of pitches outside the strike zone early in the season, but lowered his chase rate significantly as the year went on. The switch-hitting Maitan has a righthanded swing that is quick, powerful and direct to the ball, but his lefthanded swing is too long with less bat speed. Maitan no longer has any chance to play shortstop with his size and below-average instincts, but his strong arm and solid hands give him a chance to be an average third baseman in time.
  
  The Future: Maitan's end-of-season improvements give reason for hope, but he needs to get in better shape and has a long way to go. He may see low Class A Burlington in 2019.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #4 prospect in 2018
  Evaluators universally considered Maitan the top prospect in the 2016 international class and the top hitter out of Latin America in years. The Venezuelan switch-hitter signed with the Braves for $4.25 million but had an underwhelming pro debut at the Rookie levels in 2017. After the season, Major League Baseball declared Maitan a free agent as part of the Braves' penalties for international signing violations. The Angels swooped in and signed him for $2.2 million in early December. Maitan's pro debut was worrisome. He gained significant weight in his lower half and few scouts now believe he will be able to stick at shortstop. His righthanded swing was quick and direct, but his lefthanded swing showed significant length and less bat speed. Maitain has plus power potential, but his approach will have to be refined to tap into what scouts have long seen as plus hitting ability. Maitan has good body control, a plus arm and soft hands, but his range was limited by his lack of speed and first-step quickness. Maitan slimmed down to 210 pounds for instructional league. The Angels are expected to let Maitan stick at shortstop for now, but eventually most scouts believe he will end up moving off the position unless he cuts even more weight. Even with a probable eventual move to third base, he has the hitting ability to be an impact player. He will get a fresh start with the Angels in 2018 and could see low Class Burlington.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #7 prospect in 2017
  Maitan began to attract the attention of scouts in Venezuela at age 13. Over the next three years, the power-hitting shortstop emerged as the top international prospect and was considered the best foreign amateur to hit the market since Miguel Sano in 2009. Maneuvering their way to make a big splash on the international market in 2016, the Braves made Maitan their primary target and signed him for $4.25 million. He draws comparisons with Chipper Jones for his ability to hit for power and average from both sides of the plate. He gets more loft from the right side but shows an advanced feel for the strike zone and excellent discipline. Like Jones, Maitan is a physical player with solid athleticism and high baseball intelligence. Given his current size, he may move to third base as his body matures, though his easy actions and footwork and strong arm suggest he could remain up the middle. Either way the Braves envision a middle-of-the-lineup hitter thanks his plus raw power. Were Maitan an American player eligible for the draft, he would have been in the 2018 class. He's advanced enough to open his pro career at one of the Braves' Rookie-level affiliates.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pioneer League #20 prospect in 2018
  Maitan's path to the Angels organization has been well-documented, first signing with the Braves in 2016 for $4.25 million and then joining the Angels for a $2.2 million bonus after being declared a free agent by MLB after it was discovered that the Braves violated multiple rules for international signings. Scouts had been down on Maitan as he's gained more than 40 pounds since signing with the Braves and the bat hasn't developed as expected, but it should be noted that he's still only 18. Talent evaluators who saw Maitan later in the Pioneer League season after he switched from shortstop to third base now have a glimmer of hope that he can turn back into a genuine prospect. Maitan worked his way into better shape during the season, and the Angels believe he matured considerably during his time in Orem. After lowering his chase rate and becoming more selective at the plate, Maitan posted his best numbers in August with a .781 OPS and five of his eight home runs. He flashes an explosive swing with plus raw power from both sides of the plate with above-average bat speed, but there are a lot of moving parts to the swing. He still has plenty of work to do at third base but should become an average defender there with a plus arm. He's a below-average runner and projects as a power-first bat.
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  Ranked National League #1 prospect in 2017
  Maitan headlined the 2016 international signing class and was considered by some to be the best international amateur since Miguel Sano in 2009. The Venezuelan shortstop signed for $4.25 million with the Braves, who assigned Maitan to Danville after a brief tuneup in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Maitan scuffled in the early part of the season but as he got his feet under him, evaluators began to take notice of his switch-hitting ability and plus raw power. He flashes impressive hitting hands and keeps his swing under control when he's in the zone. While his pitch recognition needs work, Maitan's ability to make consistent hard contact should come to life with more repetitions. At peak, he could be a plus hitter with greater than plus power. Maitan's ultimate position is in question. He has gained mass rapidly at a young age and may outgrow shortstop. One manager described him as "barrel-bodied." Despite notable athleticism and a plus arm, he faces a potential move to third base down the line.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #77 prospect in 2017

• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Evaluators considered Maitan the top prospect in the 2016 international class and the top hitter out of Latin America in years. The Venezuelan switch-hitter signed with the Braves for $4.25 million but had an underwhelming pro debut in Rookie ball in 2017. After the season, Major League Baseball declared Maitan a free agent as part of the Braves' penalties for international signing violations. Scouting Report: The Angels signed Maitan for $2.2 million in December. Most worrisome about his debut was that he gained significant weight in his lower half and few scouts now believe he will be able to stick at shortstop. His righthanded swing was quick and direct, but his lefthanded swing showed significant length and less bat speed. Maitain has plus power potential, but his approach will have to be refined to tap into what scouts have long seen as plus hitting ability. He has good body control, a plus arm and soft hands, but his range was limited by his lack of speed and first-step quickness. The Future: The Angels expect to let Maitan stick at shortstop for now, but most scouts envision him shifting to third base eventually--unless he drops weight. He has the hitting ability to be an impact player.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Maitan began to attract the attention of scouts in Venezuela at the age of 13 while training with Henderson Martinez. Over the next three years the power-hitting shortstop emerged as the top international amateur prospect and was considered to be the best foreign amateur to hit the market since Miguel Sano in 2009. Maneuvering their way to make a big splash on the international market in 2016, the Braves made Maitan their primary target and signed him on July 2 for a reported $4.25 million. Scouting Report: Maitan draws comparisons with Chipper Jones with his ability to hit for power and average from both sides of the plate. He gets more loft from the right side but shows an overall advanced feel for the strike zone and excellent discipline for such a young player. Like Jones, Maitan is a physical player with solid athleticism and high baseball intelligence. Given his current size, he may move to third base as his body matures, though his easy actions and footwork and strong arm suggest he could yet remain up the middle. Either way the Braves envision a middle-of-the-lineup hitter thanks his plus raw power.
  
  The Future: Were Maitan an American player eligible for the draft, he would have been in the 2018 class. He's so young that he will likely debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2017, though it's possible he'll be advanced enough to open his pro career in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.