Off Topic
Travelblog of Thom S. Hunter
Editor’s Note: Dammit. Far as I can tell this idiot idea of a beat reporter is going to stick. Guess he’s got low friends in high places. Or at least high friends. And I like to eat, and I got a wife and three kids (that I know of) who need clothes and sneakers. So I got nothing to do but to let the guy write whatever he writes. Good luck reading it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
October 28, 2057: Kamloops – What do you make of a guy like Russian-born Zorya Maidykov?
The guy gets drafted in the third round in 2054, and struggles more than a bit in that first season. Looks like a bust out of the gate. But he comes back and posts 2.5 WAR in his second go-around, then does 2.9 the next year when the team jumps him up to A-ball and follows iut up with 2.4 this season in AA-Kamloops.
He hits, you know? With a little, but not a lot, of pop (15 homers and 28 doubles isn’t chopped lumber, but it’ll play a bit.
And he’s got a little defense, anyway. Hits from the left side, but can square up the occasional lefty pitcher, too. And an arm that can handle right field. They say he can be a little rambunctious of the field, but hey, he’s Russian, whaddaygonna do, ship him to Phoenix?
They also say he plays a mean game of handball, but that you have to pay attention because he’ll cheat.
A peak first at the scout numbers.
A 6’6” he’s a gangly 200 pounds, which probably makes him an interesting small forward on the squad’s intercompany basketball team. Not the speediest guy on the team. Insiders say he can’t bunt for shit, but is that a feature or a bug?
- - -
OFFENSIVELY: Maidykov’s OBP the last three seasons were .378, .404, and .375 in R/A/AA levels say that at age 22, you want to take a look. That said, he seems like one of those guys you’ll look at and say things like “well, he can’t take a walk,” even though he coaxes 51 of them last season. Or “He can’t steal a base” (which is true … someone needs to give him the permanent stop sign because it seems the young man can’t help himself).
So, I hear you. Is he going to be any good?
Sure, why not?
- - -
DEFENSIVELY, it seems like the question is a bit dependent on whether Maidykov can keep his concentration on the ball. He posted an atrocious -11 ZR in Lime City last year, but followed it up at -2.3 in 123 games last year. If he’s closer to -2.3 than -11, well, you get the drift.
14 kills in the outfield says his arm can do the thing.
At 6’6”, some think his strength might be first sack.
- - -
DEVELOPMENT: Maidykov picked up five or six pounds this season, and it probably helped. Maybe that’s part of the power sugar he found while adding seven doubles and a couple homers to the register in his transition from A > AA. He looks compete now, though, and most scouts seem to thing he pretty much is what he is.
- - -
PERSONALITY: Ultimately, the kid is what they call “rambunctious.” Not the smarted bat in the rack. Not the hardest working. A little inclined to stay out of the limelight at times. In other words, he could use a little polish. While some say he can be a bit off-putting, it doesn’t seem to affect his play any. Mostly seems to be trying to find himself.
- - -
2058 Projection: Maidykov was overshadowed by AA outfield mate Tony Munyiga this season, but his numbers were nearly as good. He runs into the same question that Munyiga does, though, only double.
If Theo Bourges executes his player option, spots on the big-league club will be sparse. Doubly so because one assumes Munyiga has the inside track. That suggests that, since Maidykov has proven he can handle AA pitchers, his likely 2058 assignment will be in AAA Pasco.
That might be for the best all around, though. Another season to mature in the minors might benefit him considerably.
- - -
October 28, 2057: Kamloops – What do you make of a guy like Russian-born Zorya Maidykov?
The guy gets drafted in the third round in 2054, and struggles more than a bit in that first season. Looks like a bust out of the gate. But he comes back and posts 2.5 WAR in his second go-around, then does 2.9 the next year when the team jumps him up to A-ball and follows iut up with 2.4 this season in AA-Kamloops.
He hits, you know? With a little, but not a lot, of pop (15 homers and 28 doubles isn’t chopped lumber, but it’ll play a bit.
And he’s got a little defense, anyway. Hits from the left side, but can square up the occasional lefty pitcher, too. And an arm that can handle right field. They say he can be a little rambunctious of the field, but hey, he’s Russian, whaddaygonna do, ship him to Phoenix?
They also say he plays a mean game of handball, but that you have to pay attention because he’ll cheat.
A peak first at the scout numbers.
| LVL | Player Name | POS | B | T | OVR | POT | ConP | GapP | PowP | EyeP | AvKP | Con | Gap | Pow | Eye | AvK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-AA | Zorya Maidykov | RF | L | L | 45 | 45 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Source | Age | Ht | Wt | SPD | STE | RUN | CAB | CAR | IFR | IFE | IFA | TDP | OFR | OFE | OFA | |
| D54.3 | 22 | 6'6" | 200 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 8 |
A 6’6” he’s a gangly 200 pounds, which probably makes him an interesting small forward on the squad’s intercompany basketball team. Not the speediest guy on the team. Insiders say he can’t bunt for shit, but is that a feature or a bug?
- - -
OFFENSIVELY: Maidykov’s OBP the last three seasons were .378, .404, and .375 in R/A/AA levels say that at age 22, you want to take a look. That said, he seems like one of those guys you’ll look at and say things like “well, he can’t take a walk,” even though he coaxes 51 of them last season. Or “He can’t steal a base” (which is true … someone needs to give him the permanent stop sign because it seems the young man can’t help himself).
So, I hear you. Is he going to be any good?
Sure, why not?
- - -
DEFENSIVELY, it seems like the question is a bit dependent on whether Maidykov can keep his concentration on the ball. He posted an atrocious -11 ZR in Lime City last year, but followed it up at -2.3 in 123 games last year. If he’s closer to -2.3 than -11, well, you get the drift.
14 kills in the outfield says his arm can do the thing.
At 6’6”, some think his strength might be first sack.
- - -
DEVELOPMENT: Maidykov picked up five or six pounds this season, and it probably helped. Maybe that’s part of the power sugar he found while adding seven doubles and a couple homers to the register in his transition from A > AA. He looks compete now, though, and most scouts seem to thing he pretty much is what he is.
- - -
PERSONALITY: Ultimately, the kid is what they call “rambunctious.” Not the smarted bat in the rack. Not the hardest working. A little inclined to stay out of the limelight at times. In other words, he could use a little polish. While some say he can be a bit off-putting, it doesn’t seem to affect his play any. Mostly seems to be trying to find himself.
- - -
2058 Projection: Maidykov was overshadowed by AA outfield mate Tony Munyiga this season, but his numbers were nearly as good. He runs into the same question that Munyiga does, though, only double.
If Theo Bourges executes his player option, spots on the big-league club will be sparse. Doubly so because one assumes Munyiga has the inside track. That suggests that, since Maidykov has proven he can handle AA pitchers, his likely 2058 assignment will be in AAA Pasco.
That might be for the best all around, though. Another season to mature in the minors might benefit him considerably.
- - -