NASHVILLE—The black fabric of Chris Maldonado’s jacket does its best to provide something that the short-sleeve jersey can’t as he trots down the third-base line, waits for a media scrum to end and introduces himself a few feet outside of Hawkins Field’s third-base foul line as he shakes the rust off.
Maldonado used to hold court himself from a few feet behind the third base bag, but instead he’s subjected to running down the line expecting to head to the locker room uninterrupted like he’s done so many times in this place over the last two years. He's stopped this time, though. He’s friendly, he gives the kind of handshake that Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin so often emphasizes as necessary and he–for the first time since 2023–is considered a story worth investing in by an outside source.
Nearly everyone in the building knows who he is and has vivid memories of what he’s done–how about his home run and 2-for-2 in the 2023 SEC Championship game that seemingly indicated he had arrived. He’s not been the subject of the story in a long time, though.
In another reality where life isn’t so sick and twisted, Maldonado is on the field in a minor league park. Maldonado former freshman co-star RJ Austin is doing just that these days. Maldonado’s course, too, appeared to inevitably be heading towards a high pick in the MLB Draft and his only appearances at Vanderbilt in the calendar year 2026 coming in the winter time as he worked out in its facilities and caught up with former teammates.
Instead, Maldonado is here every day trying to get it back. The production. The consistent playing time that he’s finally earned. The freedom that comes with playing this grueling game with confidence that exceeds the pressures that come with it at this level. He’s trying to make the most of life as it’s unfolded.
The shine on Maldonado’s prospect profile has worn off–he could’ve signed with an organization last summer and didn’t–the number of kids asking him for autographs on the way off the field has dwindled and the days in which he’s got sole ownership of a slot in the lineup aren’t taken for granted anymore. They can’t be.
Maldonado’s burdens have made an effort to crush him since he ran into the locker room after the final game of his freshman season and the time he spends explaining his story in front of an empty stadium on a cold, dreary February night. He stands there with his hand on the knob of his bat and a clear sense of hope, though.
Most would’ve looked for a fresh start by now. Some would’ve been done with this brutal, harsh game altogether. But, Maldonado is here with Vanderbilt spelled across his chest in gold lettering and a black jersey peeking out from under his jacket. He’s got a story to share and a dream to keep chasing.
“He’s been through a lot,” Corbin admits. “He’s a wise young man who has good perspective on things.”
The action Maldonado was involved in prior to his postgame walk down the line was just a late-inning at-bat of an eventual run rule-induced Vanderbilt win over Evansville, but it meant something. That was Maldonado’s fourth appearance of Vanderbilt’s young season and just his 30th since he played 45 games in 2023.
Vanderbilt’s every day third baseman is Brodie Johnston. There’s 10 players on Vanderbilt’s roster who have taken over 100 at-bats on the season, there are nine who have played in over 40 games. None of them are Maldonado. He knows that he’s getting closer to the place he used to be, the place he wants to be again.
Maldonado used to press in moments like the ones he’s been a part of this season, but his mindset has evolved. Perhaps that’s why he’s showing shades of still being the version of himself that used to be hard to miss around these parts.
“I’m trying to make the most of every opportunity I get and do the best I can,” Maldonado told Vandy on SI. “Moving forward into this year I worked really hard to try to get my mind right and really just try to take a lot of pressure off myself. I think that I wanted things to go well so bad last year that I put a lot of pressure on myself and wasn't able to get the results I wanted, but this year I just feel very at ease and I'm confident, just kind of playing this game like I'm a little kid again.”
As a ball was ripped to the first-base side, Maldonado had just about everything in hand. He was almost guaranteed to be Vanderbilt’s 2024 starting first baseman. He was projected to be one of its most effective bats–like he was the season before.
These few hours appeared to be relatively insignificant in regard to Maldonado’s stock, barring a catastrophe. Catastrophe is about the only thing that Maldonado’s career has guaranteed him since 2023, though.
Maldonado didn’t know it when he dove, but the trajectory of his career—and life—would change by the time he got up. He didn’t know that when he got up, either. All he felt was that something was off in his shoulder. As Maldonado’s dad said, though, someone at Maldonado’s level had to try to push through and get back on the field through the injury.
It’s an admission that Maldonado’s father, Frank–who is a doctor–hates to admit. But, the situation was dire enough to where he thought about prescribing his son with some anti-inflammatories for his shoulder. Eventually, though, he thought “this is crazy” and encouraged his son to keep plugging along.
Maldonado played the first five games of that season through the injury, but he knew it wasn’t a sustainable formula. When the then-Vanderbilt sophomore talked to his parents after Vanderbilt’s Friday win over Gonzaga and got in their car, it appeared as if he’d hit his breaking point.
“I’m hurt,” Maldonado told his parents, “I can’t really play.”
“We saw the tears in his eyes,” Maldonado’s dad, Frank, told Vandy on SI. “It was devastating because he knew that once you go tell coach, now you have to go for an MRI, now you have to go for you know whatever it is and once that happens with the depth of Vanderbilt program, you’re set back, right away you’re in trouble.”
Maldonado’s parents could’ve pushed him to keep going, but they wanted Maldonado to know that they viewed him as their son rather than merely an asset that was to be evaluated on his potential as an athlete. When Maldonado told Corbin, the family says Corbin was supportive and that everything happened “real quick” after that.
Once Maldonado told Corbin, they came to the decision that it was best for him to take a seat for awhile while they evaluated his future. The evaluation eventually ended in Maldonado getting surgery.
Life changed quickly for Maldonado and his new normal lasted significantly longer than he likely would’ve expected. His 2024 season was a wash, but at least he had 2025.
That wasn’t what he expected, either.
As he looks back, Maldonado describes the 2025 season as a “tough” one that involved him getting in the batters’ box sparingly and a weight of pressure every time he did. Maldonado finished the season with a .086 average, a .393 OPS, three total hits, eight starts and zero home runs. It was a far cry from what he’d proven he could do.
Maldonado looked to bounce back in the fall following that season, but was sidelined for the entirety of the fall by a hamstring injury that required surgery. Now, though, he’s back on the field, is on the precipice of his senior weekend and isn’t taking it for granted.
“Senior year, I'm trying to make the most of every opportunity I get,” Maldonado said, “And do the best I can and help the team win.”
Maldonado places his stuff down and as his helmet hits the ground, a green elbow protector rests face up. Perhaps it’s coincidence that the visual of the pad stands out, but what seemed to be a coincidence platforms Maldonado to talk about how he got to the other side of this demoralizing journey.
The elbow protector is an ode to the Bible verse James 1:12, which declares “blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
That speaks to Maldonado because of everything that he’s been through. As he looks back on the twists and turns that his career has taken, he sees its applicability in his life.
“That was definitely a spiritual journey for me,” Maldonado said.
”I got super close with God and Jesus during that time. I was in a tough spot. I mean, it was definitely the first time that I had the game taken away from me, so it was challenging and I felt compelled to get closer with God. He took a lot of the pressure off me, and he made things feel a lot better.”
Maldonado's mom was a Catholic education teacher when he was a kid and his parents say he gained the fundamentals of faith as a kid because of his Catholic education. Maldonado’s parents remember a clear maturation process in his faith once he became an adult, though.
Oftentimes, Maldonado’s parents would question if their son really deserves everything that’s happened to him. Maldonado, though, would remind them that there’s a bigger plan for his life and that everything in his story has happened for a reason.
The rationale that Maldonado can draw from his life’s circumstances is that he’s developed significantly in his identity outside of baseball. Perhaps Maldonado knew before the injuries that he wasn’t entirely created to be a baseball player, but he’s able to live with that in mind these days.
“I’ve never been closer to God and more in tune with my religion than I am right now,” Maldonado said. “It just continues to grow, and I feel like everything that I've gone through has given me so much more in return as far as my relationship with God, and that's ultimately the most important thing to me.”
Maldonado looks back on his time away from consistent playing time as one that caused him to re-evaluate how he thought about baseball and life as a whole. He read more scripture and internalized it. He didn’t worry as much. He didn’t feel as if the weight of the world was on him like this game could trick him into believing.
On the other side of Maldonado’s cruel journey, he believes he’s a better–and more complete–person. He wouldn’t have chosen this, but he’ll likely benefit from it for the entirety of his adult life.
“It's gonna serve him well no matter what he does, whether it's in his workforce or in his marriage whatever it is,” Maldonado’s mom, Gina told Vandy on SI. “He'll always be able to just know who he is and know that baseball isn't all there is in life.”
There’s less than an hour before Vanderbilt football kicks off against Missouri and there Maldonado is bypassing the entrance to Hawkins Field. He’s got a black Vanderbilt baseball jersey on and a palpable energy surrounding him.
In a few minutes, Maldonado will be heading to the student section to be one of Vanderbilt’s loudest fans as Diego Pavia and his teammates fight for a win in the aftermath of College Gameday. Maldonado could be somewhere else by now, but he’s embracing Vanderbilt and all that it is.
Vanderbilt’s first baseman could’ve had a surefire role had he transferred, but that would go against what he believes.
The Maldonados are outwardly opposed to the trends of this era of college sports in which the transfer portal is prevalent and player movement is inevitable. Maldonado’s dad calls it the “NIL, transfer portal nonsense that has ruined college baseball” because it prevents the ability to build a culture.
Vanderbilt, though, has been able to build a culture because players like Maldonado have stayed when it would’ve been easy for them to leave. Not only did Maldonado stay, he’s made an effort to become an ambassador for this program. When he puts his mind to doing that, his dad says, he’s as good at being one as anyone.
“He could be president of the United States and I’m not exaggerating that,” Maldonado’s dad said. “When he eventually becomes whatever he's gonna be, he’s gonna be successful. I could tell you that right now, I'm so confident in that no matter what he does.”
Maldonado says that there was never another option for him other than staying at Vanderbilt. He says he loves this place too much. He says Corbin and the rest of Vanderbilt’s staff mean too much to him for him to have left them.
It’s not entirely rare for a player like Maldonado to stick it out at a place. It’s rare, though, for someone to have this deep of a love for a situation that hasn’t always rewarded him for showing that type of affection. Maldonado says Vanderbilt has given him more than enough.
“I come to this facility every day blessed to be a Vandy boy, and I take a lot of pride in getting put on a Vanderbilt uniform every day,” Maldonado said. “It just means the world to me to be here, and I'm super humbled to be here.
I never take it for granted. I'm just super grateful for every opportunity that I've been given here.”
The comparison for Maldonado isn’t all that difficult for Corbin to make as he thinks over what his first baseman has been through and how he’s responded to everything that’s happened to him. Corbin says he’d put Maldonado in the same category as former Vanderbilt infielder and national champion Julian Infante. Corbin believes that like Infante, Maldonado has become better for what he’s endured.
Corbin follows his comment about how Maldonado has benefitted from being in his program by saying that Maldonado has made the program better with his presence. The Vanderbilt coach calls Maldonado a soldier.
Turns out the endurance Maldonado has demonstrated in his wars has given him a platform to help others in theirs. He’s best platformed within the confines of Hawkins Field.
“He’s loyal as the day is long,” Corbin said. “He's the best. He's great in the clubhouse, he's great with the kids, he's mature.
He operates like a professional.”
Maldonado has his stuff in hand and is a step closer to re-acquiring stardom as he rounds the corner and heads to the locker room following a Vanderbilt Saturday-night win over LSU at Hawkins Field.
As Maldonado walked down the foul line after the last out, he was pulled aside to participate in the postgame press conference. The Vanderbilt first baseman–who has earned that title now–was a difference maker in that crucial Vanderbilt win as a result of his three-run homer in the fifth inning.
Perhaps it was a mere formality that a player who homered in an SEC win would meet the media, but it represented Maldonado’s re-emergence into the spotlight. Maldonado believed he was getting closer to re-acquiring stardom nearly a month prior after Vanderbilt’s midweek win over Evansville, and he was provided with some proof of concept in this moment.
As Maldonado finished answering questions, he re-gained his bearings and turned to the locker room. Before he could get there, he received a greeting from a young fan.
“Good game, Chris,” he said.
Perhaps more than the home run itself, the five minutes immediately following that Saturday night game indicated that this is all coming back to Maldonado. And it appears as if that indication is correct.
Maldonado started all three games in every weekend series since that Feb. 24 midweek against Evansville until early april. The Vanderbilt first baseman is 10th on Vanderbilt’s roster in games played, and his production has indicated that there’s still something in there. Maldonado is hitting for a .245 average, has four homers and is sixth on Vanderbilt’s roster with seven doubles.
It’s not quite Maldonado’s freshman production yet, but it’s a step towards him fulfilling the MLB dream that he’s set out for since picking up this cruel game in the first place.
“I believe that it’s absolutely possible,” Maldonado said. “All it takes is an opportunity, and if I'm given an opportunity, I'm going to make the most of it and play for as long as I can and, give it my.
Whether it happens or not, it's not really in my control. I’m just working as hard as I can, and doing the things I can control best, that’s what's gonna give me the best opportunity.”
For now, though, Maldonado has finally found himself with an opportunity to be more than just the player that Vanderbilt’s fanbase embraces for the way he’s become an ambassador for this program. The consensus among those in Maldonado’s circle is that there’s a real reception every time he’s introduced because of the way he’s connected with Vanderbilt’s fanbase.
Maldonado believes he can offer more than just what he’s been through, though. The Vanderbilt first baseman is continuing to push for more. His dream isn’t dead yet, and nobody is properly platformed to tell him that it’s out of reach for him.
“I feel like he should never stop chasing that, it's still attainable for him,” Maldonado’s mom said. “I think he can really reach any goal. Provided he stays healthy. I think it's all there for him.”
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Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Basket Under Review and Mainstreet Nashville.
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