After stumbling out of the gates in his first full professional season, High-A Aberdeen’s Mac Horvath is beginning to heat up.
Horvath is the Orioles’ No. 11 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He batted just below the Mendoza Line to start the year, slashing a paltry .199/.306/.338 in April and May. But since those first 37 games, the 6-foot, 195-pounder has begun to turn a corner, hitting .359/.432/.692 in the month of June entering play on June 14.
“It was last month, May, I was working on some things to try and help my swing, and I think I’ve kind of gone back to what I was doing last year, a couple of those drills that helped me,” Horvath said on Glenn Clark Radio June 11. “And then just trying to incorporate new things with the old things that were working.”
Last year was Horvath’s first taste of professional baseball after the Orioles selected him No. 53 overall out of UNC. He found success at the plate in a small sample, posting five homers and 11 RBIs while hitting .321/.455/.603.
That was in a 22-game stretch across the Florida Complex League, Low-A and High-A. This year, Horvath took a bit longer to get into a groove.
“That stuff, it takes time,” Horvath said. “The month of May was all right. I mean, nothing crazy. And then something clicked the other day.”
The Austin, Minn., native broke out on June 8 with a monster four-hit, four-run performance against the Brooklyn Cyclones. Horvath smacked three doubles in the contest along with a homer and two RBIs. He came back the next day and added to that total, going 2-for-3 at the plate with another homer and a pair of RBIs.
“It’s always good to have perspective and realize that you can’t go out there every single night and perform with four hits,” Horvath said. “But it definitely goes back to my college days. I started off slow my freshman year, and then started off a little slow my sophomore year as well. … It’s always good to have those slumps every once in a while just to bring you down to earth and know that this game is really tough and you can’t be so hard on yourself.”
After three seasons with the Tar Heels, Horvath was drafted as a third baseman known for plus arm strength, but there are questions about his eventual position. He has played mostly second and third base in his two minor league seasons, but he has dabbled in right and left field as well.
With the Orioles possessing a top-ranked farm system and a contender-worthy major league roster, it would benefit Horvath to become as versatile as he possibly can and feel comfortable at multiple spots on the diamond.
“They just told me be versatile, and it can only help you to be able to play multiple positions,” Horvath said about his talks with the staff last offseason. “Take pride in getting those extra reps, whether it be second base, third base, outfield, so just kind of being ready to play wherever because it can only help.”
Horvath worked through his early-season struggles and came out on the other side. Now, he’s aiming to keep the positive momentum so that he can continue his climb up the minor league ladder and one day join in on the fun in Baltimore.
“Those guys a few years ago were kind of in my shoes where I’m at right now,” Horvath said. “It’s exciting to be in a place where they’re winning. I’d rather be there than a place where they’re losing because it’s more fun. I’m pumped for that, hopefully get to be up there in a couple years or so and win the big one.”
For more from Horvath, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Aberdeen IronBirds