Taber Maier

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #30 prospect in 2001
  From the organization that developed utilityman Joe McEwing comes Maier, who has one of the most interesting backgrounds in the minors. It's a good bet that he's the only player in the Prospect Handbook who was born in Tehran, Iran, though he grew up in California. His father was in the Army and stationed in Iran when he was born. His mother is from Thailand. Maier played shortstop at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the same school that produced Ozzie Smith, but his tools are far more pedestrian. He's the type of player who appeals more to managers than scouts, especially after they see him play for a while. He moved to second base right away as a pro and has played at third as well. Maier will make it to the big leagues on his bat, though. He walks more than he strikes out and is working on driving the ball and getting full extension with every swing so he can become more than just a contact hitter. He should be able to take the next step to Memphis in 2001.