Martin Maldonado Quietly Finding His Groove for the LA Angels

The LA Angels have not had a solid contributor behind the plate in years. While Martin Maldonado is not blowing anyone away, he has turned it on as of late.

When the LA Angels brought Maldonado onto their roster, they were bringing in a defensive stud who consistently hit around .200. He did not bring overwhelming power either, never sending more than eight balls out in a single year.

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At 30 years old, Maldonado is in the end of his prime and an offensive outburst was not expect. However, he is putting out his best season to date.

Maldonado quickly won the starting job over incumbent Carlos Perez. In only a few games, he displayed his cannon arm and efficiency when calling games. He has also been reliable offensively. He holds a .267 average on the year with seven long balls and ten doubles. Maldonado has scored 21 times while driving in 21 as well. He has also played in 62 games this season, with his career-high being 79.

In the recent week, Maldonado has been lighting it up at the plate. He has led the team in batting average at .353. He sent the ball out twice in one game, his first career multi-homerun game. Halo fans can expect him to continue to contribute at the plate, as he hits .247 in July on his career (second highest, .252 in June).

Maldonado has also been a road warrior this year. He has a higher average on the road, along with five of his seven big flies coming in opposing team’s ballparks. He has also absolutely flourished against left-handed pitchers, hitting .341 against them. However, the majority of his home runs come against right-handed pitchers.

While Maldonado is by no means a superstar, or even an All Star, he has been a welcome addition to a team that has not had an above-average catcher since Mike Napoli left in 2011.