John Mayberry Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Mayberry Jr. |
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Mayberry in 2015 with the Mets
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| Outfielder | ||||||||||||||
| Born: December 21, 1983 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| May 23, 2009, for the Philadelphia Phillies | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| July 24, 2015, for the New York Mets | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .235 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 56 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 180 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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John Claiborn Mayberry Jr. (born December 21, 1983) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Mets.
Mayberry played high school baseball in Kansas City. USA Today named him a top player in 2002. The Seattle Mariners drafted him in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft. But Mayberry chose to go to Stanford University instead of signing. While at Stanford, he played for the United States national baseball team. He won a gold medal at the World University Baseball Championship in 2004.
After three years at Stanford, Mayberry was drafted again. The Texas Rangers picked him in the first round of the 2005 Major League Baseball draft. He was known as a great athlete with a strong arm in the minor leagues. He was also a powerful hitter. In 2007, he hit 30 home runs across different minor league teams.
The Philadelphia Phillies traded for Mayberry in 2008. He started in their Triple-A team. He was called up to the major leagues in May 2009. Mayberry hit a home run in his very first MLB game! He spent most of 2009 and 2010 in the minor leagues. But he returned to the Phillies in 2010. In 2011, he played over 100 games. He split his time between the outfield and first base. This was his best season in the major leagues.
Mayberry was a strong hitter, but he also struck out often. He was a good athlete with speed. He had a strong and accurate arm in the outfield. Mayberry earned a degree in political science from Stanford. His father, John Mayberry Sr., was also a famous baseball player. He played in MLB for over ten years.
Contents
Early Life and High School Baseball
John Mayberry Jr. was born in Kansas City. His parents are John Sr. and Janice Mayberry. His father, John Mayberry Sr., was a two-time All-Star first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball for 15 seasons.
Mayberry Jr. went to Rockhurst High School in Kansas City. He graduated in 2002. In 2001, he was named First Team All-State. He hit .480 with eight home runs that year. USA Today named him a first-team All-USA player in 2002. He was also named the 2002 Missouri Gatorade High School Baseball Player of the Year. He played basketball too, averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds in his senior year.
The Seattle Mariners drafted Mayberry in the first round in 2002. But he decided not to sign with them. Instead, he chose to attend Stanford University. He was the highest-drafted player that year who went to a four-year college.
College Baseball Career
Mayberry played three years for the Stanford Cardinal baseball team. He was a key player in Stanford's batting order. As a freshman in 2003, he had a 16-game hitting streak. He batted .299 and hit four home runs. Collegiate Baseball named him a Freshman All-American. Baseball America called him the best college athlete among top prospects.
In 2004, as a sophomore, he batted .333. He hit 16 home runs and had 62 runs batted in (RBIs). He also stole 9 bases. He was named a first-team All-Pac-10 player. That year, he played for Team USA in Taiwan. They won a gold medal at the FISU World University Baseball Championship.
In his junior year, Mayberry led his team with 22 games where he got multiple hits. He batted .303 and had 63 RBIs. He made only 2 errors all season. After his junior year, the Texas Rangers drafted him. They picked him in the first round of the 2005 Major League Baseball draft. He later graduated from Stanford in 2006 with a degree in political science.
Professional Baseball Journey
Minor League Development
After being drafted, Mayberry signed with the Rangers. He received a signing bonus of $1.525 million. He was sent to the Spokane Indians in 2005. There, he changed from playing first base to playing outfield. He hit 11 home runs that season. Baseball America called him the 8th-best prospect in his league. They also said he had the best outfield arm among all Texas Rangers minor leaguers.
In 2006, Mayberry moved up to the A-level Clinton LumberKings. He was named Midwest League Player of the Week in August. He batted .268 and hit 21 home runs. He also stole nine bases. Baseball America rated him as the Best Power Hitter and Best Athlete. He played in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league too. He led that league in slugging percentage.
In 2007, he played for two different minor league teams. He hit 30 home runs that year. He also drove in 83 runs and stole 16 bases. He was named a California League mid-season All-Star. Baseball America ranked him as the fifth-best prospect in the Rangers' system. He also played in the Arizona Fall League.
In 2008, Mayberry hit 20 home runs. He continued to show he had potential for the major leagues. On November 20, 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies traded for him. They gave up outfielder Greg Golson to get Mayberry. He started the 2009 season with the Phillies' Triple-A team. He hit 8 home runs and had a .277 batting average. The Phillies called him up to the major leagues on May 22.
In 2010, Mayberry played most of the season in Triple-A. He batted .267 with 15 home runs. He also stole a career-high 20 bases. He was named a Phillies Organization All-Star.
Time with the Philadelphia Phillies
2009-2010 Seasons
The Phillies called Mayberry up to the major leagues on May 22, 2009. The very next day, in his first MLB game, he hit a three-run home run. It was off Andy Pettitte of the New York Yankees. He was sent back to the minors for a short time. When he returned, he hit another home run. This one was off Dirk Hayhurst of the Toronto Blue Jays.
In 2010, Mayberry played only 11 games with the Phillies. He batted .333 with two home runs. He spent most of the year (128 games) in Triple-A. He was called up in September. He hoped to make the Phillies' playoff team. But he was sent to the Arizona Fall League instead. He left after one game due to a leg injury.
2011: A Strong Season
Mayberry made the Phillies' opening day roster for the first time in 2011. He got the game-winning RBI in the first game. He was sent back to the minors in June. But he returned when Shane Victorino got injured. Mayberry didn't have a set role on the team. But he showed he could hit well when it mattered. He finished the season batting .273 with 15 home runs in 104 games. He also played in the postseason for the first time.
2012-2013: Ups and Downs
After a good 2011, Mayberry's performance dropped in 2012. He hit .245, which was a 28-point drop. He still hit 14 home runs. He started the season sharing time in left field. But Juan Pierre played so well that Mayberry spent more time on the bench. Later in the season, the Phillies traded Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence. This meant Mayberry played more, mostly in center field.
In 2013, Mayberry was expected to be a solid player off the bench. But he started the season as the Phillies' opening day right fielder. This was because Delmon Young was injured. On June 4, 2013, Mayberry had an amazing game. He hit a solo home run to tie the game in the 10th inning. Then, in the 11th inning, he hit a walk-off grand slam to win the game! He was the first player in MLB history to hit two extra-inning home runs, with the second being a grand slam. Despite this, he finished the season batting only .227.
2014: Final Year with Phillies
Before the 2014 season, the Phillies signed Mayberry to a $1.5875 million contract. He started the season on the Phillies' bench. He was very successful early on as a pinch hitter. By June 13, he was hitting well with three home runs and 11 RBIs in pinch-hit situations. He also started some games at first base. This success made some people think he could be traded to another team.
Moving to Other Teams
Toronto Blue Jays
On August 31, 2014, Mayberry was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. He played in 15 games for the Blue Jays that year. He batted .208 with 1 home run. In December, the Blue Jays released him, making him a free agent.
New York Mets
On December 11, 2014, Mayberry signed a one-year contract with the New York Mets. He had a great spring training, batting .415. But during the regular season, he struggled. He hit only .164 in 119 times at bat. The Mets released him on July 30, 2015.
Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers
Mayberry signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox in August 2015. But he was released later that month. In January 2016, the Detroit Tigers signed him to a minor league contract. He was invited to spring training. However, the Tigers released him on April 1, 2016.
Player Skills and Style
Offensive Play
The Phillies wanted Mayberry for his power hitting. He hit many home runs in the minor leagues. But he often struck out. He was good at hitting pitches in the middle of the plate. He struggled with pitches on the outside. Mayberry was a good athlete and had speed. He stole many bases in the minor leagues. But he only stole 14 in the major leagues.
From 2011 to 2013, Mayberry hit much better against left-handed pitchers. Against lefties, he hit 21 home runs with a .273 batting average. Against right-handed pitchers, he hit 19 home runs with a .231 batting average.
Defensive Play
Mayberry's defense was often described as "adequate." He played a lot of time at all three outfield positions. His former manager, Charlie Manuel, preferred him in the corner outfield spots. But when the Phillies traded Shane Victorino, Mayberry became the main center fielder in 2012. In 2013, he played most games in right field. He also played in center field, left field, and even first base. He had a strong and accurate arm from the outfield.
Personal Life
John Mayberry Jr. earned his degree in political science from Stanford in 2006. His father, John Mayberry, Sr., played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball. He played mostly for the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays.
See also
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
Images for kids
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Mayberry with the Phillies in 2010
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John Mayberry Jr. slides into second base in a game on June 8, 2012
