Maynard's career began in 1937 in the low minors. In 1940, at age 27, he had a stellar year for the Richmond Colts of the Class B Piedmont League, clubbing 30 home runs and hitting .337. His success earned Maynard a late-season call-up from the Colts' parent team, the New York Giants. His first taste of the majors lasted for seven games and was bookended by two notable games. In his MLB début, Maynard led off and played center field for the Giants in their game against the Chicago Cubs at the Polo Grounds. He singled in his first MLB at bat against the Cubs' Vern Olsen, then came around to score the Giants' first run of the game. After grounding out in his second at bat, Maynard came to the plate for a third time against Olsen in the fourth inning; this time, he slammed a triple and was thrown out at home plate for trying to stretch his hit into an inside-the-park home run. Then, in Maynard's final 1940 appearance, he collected four hits in four at bats, including another triple, and scored three runs against the Boston Bees in a 14–0 Giant rout.
Maynard batted .276 during that initial stint with the Giants, but he spent 1941 and the first month of 1942 with minor-league Jersey City. He was recalled to the majors in May 1942, and played in 210 total games for the Giants during the 1942 and 1943 seasons. However, he batted only .247 and .206 respectively, with 13 total home runs. Then, after the 1943 campaign ended, he entered the military. After the war, Maynard got a final, seven-game audition with the 1946 Giants as a pinch runner and backup outfielder. He was sent back to Jersey City and finished his pro career in the minor leagues in 1952 at age 39. As a big leaguer, he batted .221 with 136 career hits (14 doubles, five triples and 14 home runs). He died in Durham, North Carolina, at age 64 in 1977.
Years after he left baseball, however, Maynard would be remembered in a story often told by Tommy Lasorda, the Baseball Hall of Fame manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, to his players at spring training.

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