Fansided

2018 Bargain Bin: The Fresh Prince, Bruce Maxwell

By Aaron Hinckley

OAKLAND, CA - JULY 05: Bruce Maxwell
OAKLAND, CA - JULY 05: Bruce Maxwell /
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Now, this is a story all about how his team got flipped-turned upside down, and I’d like to take a minute, just sit right there. I’ll tell you how Bruce Maxwell became the prince of a town on the Bay.

Bruce Maxwell garnered some attention last month by kneeling during the national anthem. He was the first MLB player to join the protest taking place across the sports world. Although his first taste of the spotlight came from his off-field actions (I know, it’s technically an on-field action), his on-field play could make waves in the 2018 season.

Let’s start with what Maxwell has done in the Majors so far. The A’s gave the young catcher his first taste of the Bigs in 2016. His 33 game stint resulted in a slash line of .283/.337/.402 but defensive woes pushed him back to the minors to start 2017.

He got a 253 PA and 76 game stint this season. He has improved enough to garner a roster spot in 2018, so we can focus solely on his bat. This season the slash line was down to .243/.312/.353, but he had some encouraging peripheral stats.

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The Progress

His BB% increased 4.4 percentage points to 12.3% in 2017. His K% did increase but only slightly from 23.8% in 2016 to 24.9% this season. This could be due to Maxwell taking more pitches as his Swing% fell five percentage points to 41.5%. His SwStr% went down from 10.2% in 2016 to 7.7% this season.

All signs point to Maxwell entering the 2018 season with a better understanding of the strike zone. Currently, he is being projected as half of a platoon behind the plate with Josh Phegley.

Maxwell’s batted ball profile is also trending in the right direction. He lowered his GB% from 52.2% in 2016 to 47.5% this year. He actually lifted all those extra 4.8 percentage points into fly balls. At 6’1 and 250 pounds, Maxwell has the frame to one day develop the power to justify his “Little Prince” (i.e. Prince Fielder) nickname, but for now, don’t expect a ton of home run output as he surmounted the 10 homer plateau in his career.

The changes in batted ball profile, as well as his increased understanding of the strike zone, leads me to believe that Maxwell could breakout in 2018. While the batting average may not cross the .300 mark, he could see a return to the high .270s with 10 homers. The A’s could have a very exciting offense in 2018 and with steady playing time, Maxwell will have plenty of RBI and run-scoring opportunities.

Fantasy Outlook

With a wRC+ of 100 against righties for his career, Bruce Maxwell will fall under the radar to start the season. In some leagues, he will go undrafted, but at a position (catcher) that is normally boom or bust, Maxwell doesn’t pose a ton of risk. He will most likely be sheltered away from lefties, which will take away at-bats from his overall number but should go a long way in keeping him fantasy relevant.

Next: Mariners: Is James Paxton a top-10 starting pitcher in 2018?

He’s a safe, inexpensive option in the garbage pile of the lower tiers of fantasy catchers. Maybe he sticks on your roster or maybe you toss him out like Uncle Phil does Jazz, either way, Bruce Maxwell is my way-too-early 2018 fantasy breakout catcher.

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