If the Padres barely recognize Cameron Maybin, it would be understandable.
The rangy physique and braided hair are the same, but batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage most certainly are not.
Maybin, traded from San Diego in the Craig Kimbrel blockbuster deal the night before the season opener, entered Tuesday night’s game against the Padres batting .299 with five homers, 27 RBIs, a .371 OBP and .427 slugging percentage in 48 games.
He led the majors with a .475 average (19-for-40) with runners in scoring position before Tuesday, with a .523 OBP and only four strikeouts in those situations. He was a team-best 7-for-14 with RISP and two outs.
Also, Maybin’s .371 home batting average led the National League among players with at least 75 plate appearances in home games.
In four seasons with the Padres, Maybin hit .246 with 19 homers, 105 RBIs, a .307 OBP and .358 slugging percentage in 393 games, with single-season highs of .264 average, .323 OBP, .393 slugging percentage, nine homers and 45 RBIs.
While many people have waited for Maybin’s stats to begin slipping back toward his career averages, he’s only gotten hotter the season’s progressed, batting .350 with a .418 OBP and 22 RBIs in his past 35 games before Tuesday.
Lately, he’s been the Braves’ best hitter. Maybin had two hits in Monday’s series opener against the Padres to extend his streak to five consecutive multi-hit games, and he was 17-for-38 (.447) with eight RBIs in his past eight games, including seven multi-hit games.
He had a .410 average (25-for-61) in his past 19 home games before Tuesday, with a .500 OBP and .541 slugging percentage. And he was riding a 12-game home hitting streak in which he’d posted a .404 average.
