Mikie Mahtook: Forgotten First-Rounder Looking Major-League Ready

“Holy crap, I totally forgot about him!” That right there is one of my favorite parts about covering minor-league baseball. Today’s column is a product of that sentiment, seeing as I had that reaction just the other day. I was perusing the Triple-A batting leaders when I came across the name Mikie Mahtook for what seemed like the first time in years.

When the 24-year-old was drafted 31st overall by Tampa Bay in the first round back in 2011, he was seen as a relatively polished player who, despite not having a sky-high ceiling, could advance quickly through the minors. The Louisiana State product was an absolute stud in his junior season, leading the SEC in slugging percentage, steals, walks and triples, while finishing second in the conference in home runs, batting average, total bases and on-base percentage.

Despite those impressive collegiate accolades, there were questions about Mahtook. He wasn’t really expected to stick in center field and, while he produced good power numbers in college, it was uncertain whether that part of his game would translate enough for his bat to play in a corner. Still, it appeared that Mahtook was a pretty safe bet to be a quality fourth outfielder or second-division regular within a relatively short amount of time.

He played most of 2012 in High-A, putting up solid numbers (386 PA, .290/.358/.419, 5 HR, 19 SB), before advancing to Double-A. He didn’t adjust very well to Double-A pitching, as he posted a .248/.308/.405 line in 39 games there to finish 2012. Not a particularly alarming sample, but not altogether encouraging either.

Last year, he completely fell off my radar, and pretty much everyone else’s. His 2013 season (.327 weighted on-base average) was nearly identical to his mediocre performance from 2012 in Double-A (.328 wOBA), as he stumbled his way to a .254/.322/.386 slash line, with a promising 25 steals, but only seven homers in 568 PA. For a player who was expected to rise quickly through the minors, Mahtook was simply spinning his wheels in Double-A.

So it was that Mahtook started the 2014 campaign, advancing a level to Triple-A, but without much fanfare, as he failed to make the organization’s Top 15 prospects list here at FanGraphs. He was still a prospect — certainly more than an org guy — but no one was paying much attention to him anymore.

As it turns out, he’s been scorching hot at the plate all season long, posting an OPS of at least .825 in each of the season’s first three months, on his way to a .315/.386/.498 line. He still doesn’t appear to have a ton of home-run power, with five dingers in 311 PA, but his 25 doubles and five triples have helped him to second place in the International League in total bases, behind only Ruben Gotay, who I honestly had no idea was still playing affiliated ball. Mahtook is also 12-for-14 in stolen-base attempts.

Looking at the Rays, as currently constructed, the team could really use his bat right now against left-handed pitching. As a team, the Rays reach base at a .311 clip against lefties, placing them 12th in the American League, leading just the Royals, White Sox and Mariners. Mahtook is shredding southpaws to the tune of .485/.526/.712 right now, and while three months in Durham isn’t a huge sample, it’s enough to tell me that this guy could help the Rays boost their ugly performance against left-handers.

While Mahtook isn’t on the 40-man roster, the injuries to David DeJesus and Wil Myers have already forced the Rays to call up both Kevin Kiermaier and Brandon Guyer, meaning that while Mahtook may not currently have a spot on the 40-man, neither does any other healthy outfielder in the organization who isn’t playing in the majors right now.

Additionally, after being shifted from center to primarily playing right field upon reaching Double-A in 2012, Mahtook is back playing center as his primary position (43 games), while still also playing in right (22 games) and left (7 games). That versatility will be crucial to Mahtook getting significant playing time in the majors.

With Tampa mired in a lost season, limping their way to a 32-48 record to this point, it wouldn’t be surprising if a roster spot opened up for Mahtook as a result of the Rays shedding major-league talent to stockpile prospects for the future.

There are plenty of ways to see Mahtook making an impact in the majors sooner rather than later. Maybe the Rays see what they can get for, say, Matt Joyce on the trade market. Maybe Guyer isn’t good enough to stick in the majors. Heck, if one more outfielder gets hurt, the Rays won’t really have any choice but to call up Mahtook.

By this point in the season, AL-only owners with a roster spot or two to play with should be looking to stockpile minor-leaguers who could make an impact down the stretch. There are many scenarios which lead to Mahtook getting significant major-league playing time this season, and his decent power/speed potential could prove quite valuable in the coming weeks.