With more and more sports fans wanting to have more knowledge on the teams and players they’re supporting, it’s no surprise to find many of them wanting to know a little more about who and what they’re actually supporting, especially since fans and supporters are even going as far as using this knowledge to improve their bet decisions.
So, to list some players who played on MLB teams and some hoping to get back, we’ve dedicated this entire article to talking about some of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs’ best players.
The Team’s Best Players
Stan Cliburn
Stan Cliburn, formerly known as Stanley Gene Cliburn, is a former American baseball player. Born in 1956, Cliburn spent his entire life devoted to professional baseball as both a player and manager. So, although he is no longer practicing as a professional baseball player, he’s still pursuing his passion by currently managing the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball’s Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.
To sum up the player’s playing career, Cliburn spent a single season playing in the majors when he was under the California Angels during the 80s. At this time, he made an appearance in 54 games. But when we look at his 14-year career in professional baseball, records show that he played in more than 948 minor league games.
When it comes to Cliburn’s coaching career, one would be both surprised and impressed to see the extensive record that the player has established for himself post being a professional baseball player. And it seems this side of his passion may have thrived just as well as his time as an athlete.
So, between 2006 and 2009, he was coaching the New Britain Bees and Rochester Red Wings, which happen to be Minnesota’s Twins’ Triple-A affiliate. After his time there, he then went on to coach the Arizona Fall League.
While some will call Cliburn’s efforts simply a sincere love and passion for the sport; however, others may argue otherwise since his twin brother, who previously played as a Major League pitcher, Stu Cliburn, is also working as a manager for the Twins’ farm system. So, this deep passion the Cliburn family has for baseball may be something that runs in their veins.
Braxton Lee
In the Atlantic League’s North Division, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs ended the 2022 season with 48 losses and 83 wins. With the team plating 737 runs and allowing 580 runs, various players like Jared Walker, David Harris, and Braxton Lee paced, walloped, and drove the team to a number of runs.
Braxton Lee happens to be one of the players who helped take the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs to greater heights. So, during the team’s 2022 season, Lee played the Outfielder and led batters by connecting at a clip of .306.
Jack Sundberg
Jack Sundberg used the Frontier League to join the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, and it’s here that he spent his season in the company of the New York Boulders. Initially, the Washington Nationals drafted him in the 2016 MLB Draft’s 26th round, and it’s here that he spent four seasons playing in the organization.
The following year, he scored a batting average of .277 while in High-A, which led him to produce 52 walks and 109 hits.
During Sundberg’s time with the Blue Crabs, he turned into the team’s regular lead-off man and outfielder, and that’s mainly because out of the 131 games that he played in the last season, he only missed 16 of those games.
And to make his time with the team even more meaningful, he changed the franchise-record books with all-time new records with a 34-game on-base streak, 45 stolen bases, and 85 walks.
Andre Darrell Scrubb
Born in 1995, Andre Darrell Scrubb is a professional baseball pitcher who made a name for himself while playing for the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball’s Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. While serving at High Point University, he played college baseball, and in 2016, he was chosen by the Los Angeles Dodgers to be part of the MLB draft’s eighth round.
So, besides playing for the Blue Crabs, he’s also played for the Great Britain national team and the MLB’s Houston Astros.
Isaac Gerald Mattson
Also born in 1995, Isaac Gerald Mattson is a professional baseball pitcher who’s currently playing for the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball’s Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. In his career of being a professional baseball player, he played for the Baltimore Orioles after making it through his amateur career that saw him exploring basketball and baseball.
During his time as a professional baseball player, he was first drafted in the Los Angeles Angels’ 19th round. That took place in 2017, and after signing, his career debuted when he started playing for the Arizona League Angels. After receiving his promotion to the Orem Owlz, his success later awarded him the worthy title of being called an All-Star.
Mattson spent years building his professional career with the Los Angeles Angels, Baltimore Orioles, and Washington Wild Things. Today, he’s now signed with the Blue Crabs and doing all he can to establish an even greater name and career for himself.
What Makes Each of These Players Stand Out?
The MLB and Blue Crabs have seen a lot of talent over the years; however, certain qualities and skills set some players apart from many others. Each of the players mentioned above shares a similar passion and love for baseball as many other athletes who are also playing for the same clubs and teams; however, not all of them can stand out as being “the cream of the crop.”
All these players have the necessary talent and skill to take them through each of their professional careers but a psychological profile including self-confidence, mental toughness, emotional control, and a bit of aggression all work to get each of these players one step ahead of the game.
In addition to this, cognitive and predictive abilities, focus, physical abilities, a good reaction time, and strategic position-specific skills all work to make some of the best players of all time.