Coby Mayo is ready for his second chance.
When the 23-year-old was asked before his team’s May 4 game if he feels extra pressure knowing his opportunities could be limited for the Orioles, he was as candid as can be.
Mayo said that if he was asked the same question last year, when Baltimore called him up for his major league debut in early August, he probably would have said he was doing too much at the plate. He felt he was trying to prove himself to the organization, mentioning the pressure as a top prospect and that he tried to hold himself to a high standard.
That’s not the case now. Mayo’s demeanor and mentality have completely flipped.
“I’m going to put it all out there and be myself. If I struggle, who cares?” Mayo said. “From Triple-A to here, I’m going to keep going the same thing I’ve been going. I’m going to keep putting in the same work and see where that ends up.”
Baseball America had Mayo ranked as the organization’s No. 2 prospect at the time of his debut. He slugged his way through every level of Baltimore’s farm system, and deservingly got the promotion to the big leagues.
But Mayo was completely overmatched. He hit .098 in 41 at bats with no extra-base hits and 22 strikeouts. He felt he didn’t have the chance to get going because of Baltimore needed to prioritize winning over individual development.
“It is tough mentally sometimes to be in this little funk,” Mayo said. “When guys come up here and struggle, you want to get out of it quick. And sometimes it doesn’t happen because it’s the best level in the world, there’s nothing higher than this.”
Mayo entered spring training with the chance to make the Opening Day roster, but he batted .190 with a .501 OPS. The former fourth-round selection showed glimpses of the production he wanted, but overall was frustrated with himself.
When the Orioles optioned Mayo back to Triple-A on March 18, Mayo told reporters the situation was “kind of a lose-lose,” referencing the thought that he was supposed to have success, and it would seem like his talent fell off if he didn’t.
Mayo’s spring training struggles carried into the start of Norfolk’s season, when he went hitless in all but three of his first 24 at-bats. Then, he got going.
Mayo laid off balls and damaged pitches in the zone at a high rate. His barrel percentage and z-contact percentage — measuring how often a batter makes contact when swinging at pitches inside the strike zone — were in the 86th and 88th percentiles, respectively, among Triple-A batters this season.
That success, paired with Ramón Urías’ right hamstring strain that put him on the injured list, brought Mayo back to Baltimore.
“He’s obviously dominated the minor leagues, he’s ready for this test. I think it’s just staying with himself,” major league coach Buck Britton said.
Britton managed Mayo at Norfolk in 2023 and 2024, a first-hand witness to Mayo’s minor league stardom. Britton saw the Florida native’s excellent 2024 season that resulted in his honor of being the International League’s Top MLB Prospect, joining the organization’s slim list of players to achieve that feat. Gunnar Henderson was awarded the honor in 2022.
Britton believes the key for Mayo is to find barrels — he had none in 19 batted balls with the Orioles last year. Mayo said he wants to handle pitches in the zone and hit balls hard to the middle of the field. In a small five at-bat sample size through two games in the majors this season, Mayo is hitless.
Manager Brandon Hyde said Mayo’s usage will be played by ear during the duration of Urías’ injury. Mayo understands that, not knowing how long his second stint in Baltimore will last. That doesn’t mean he’s not confident in his ability to stay in the majors for good.
“If I can do what I know I’m capable of doing, I think I can stick it out here for a good while,” Mayo said.
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