Coby Mayo emphatically slapped Colton Cowser’s hand on his way to the dugout and high-fived his way to the Orioles’ hydration station with a smile that couldn’t be wiped away. Mayo said the moment, his first career home run off a non-position player, was “super gratifying.”
That July 25 at-bat against the Colorado Rockies had been building for weeks.
“To see it go over the wall was nice, just because I feel like I’ve hit some balls here that probably should have [gone] out at times,” Mayo said. “Just seeing it go over the fence was just really nice.”
Mayo had battled to that point. He endured struggles during his short time in the big leagues, needing to make adjustments despite not being able to showcase them daily as he simultaneously battled inconsistent playing time for the first time in his baseball career.
It took until the trade deadline to clear a path to everyday playing time for Mayo. An abundance of veterans at the corner positions between the infield and outfield limited Mayo’s playing time prior to that. Interim manager Tony Mansolino said the organization had gone “back and forth” about Mayo getting consistent playing time at Triple-A versus infrequent work at the big league level, ultimately preferring the latter option.
“My time will come,” Mayo said ahead of the deadline. “I think the team has the best interest of me [in mind] right now.”
Mayo has been with the Orioles since May 31, when Ryan Mountcastle hit the injured list and Baltimore needed another first baseman on the roster. The majority of Mayo’s at-bats prior to the deadline came against left-handed pitching. A right-handed hitter, he was often removed for a pinch-hitter against right-handed relievers late in games.
Communication was constant between Mansolino and Mayo.
“It’s been the design by us this whole time,” Mansolino said. “I know people want to see him play every day, but we’re not fools. It’s part of the design in all this to lengthen the runway right now and give him a chance to tread water for a little bit in the big leagues, and then hopefully he goes.”
Former Orioles first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn helped Mayo stay positive. O’Hearn balanced providing hands-on help for Mayo with letting him figure stuff out on his own. The two did first-base field work hours before games together. They took batting practice in the same rotation.
“Just a super good guy to learn from,” Mayo said.
The organization’s decision to trade O’Hearn and Ramón Urías — a useful utility infielder under club control through next season — gave Mayo a chance for more consistent playing time. That came after Mayo fought through struggles early in his big league career. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound infielder hit .174/.255/.239 in his first 51 plate appearances of 2025 as pitchers fed him a steady diet of off-speed stuff.
Mayo needed to make an adjustment, even if he wasn’t getting the chance to work through those struggles with everyday at-bats.
“You just have to take it as a learning experience,” Mayo said. “When you’re not playing, what can I take from every day, how can I get better? Whether it’s in the cage or watching video or out here doing defense, it’s trying to get better in some way. And then when the game starts, you’re just trying to lock in on the game and stay ready.”
Mayo used the inconsistent playing time to make an adjustment to his swing. He tweaked both his load and stance in search of simplicity. Mayo narrowed his base to try to feel weight in his back hip to see the ball longer, for example.
Since the middle of June, Mayo has looked like the player who was a consensus top prospect entering this year. He hit .250/.321/.461 with eight extra-base hits from June 20 through Aug. 6, powered by better swing decisions.
“When you see guys do that and then they start to take off, there’s some realness to that,” Mansolino said.
Even Mayo’s defense has improved. He had a .983 fielding percentage in 75 games at first base in the minor leagues last year, making six errors in 172 innings for Triple-A Norfolk. This season for Baltimore, he made zero in his first 244 innings at the position.
Drafted as a third baseman out of high school, Mayo had produced at every level in the minors and earned the organization’s Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the Year award in 2024. Success has been more difficult to come by in the big leagues.
Mayo has battled a position switch, offensive struggles and inconsistent playing time. However, it appears he’s beginning to thrive as he gets more opportunities to take on the challenges of the big leagues.
“I think all that lends itself to him maturing and getting himself ready for when he does get a real opportunity to run with it,” Mansolino said.
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox
Issue 294: August / September 2025
Originally published Aug. 13, 2025