Baltimore Orioles Prospect Clarifies Controversial Reaction to Shocking Demotion

Coby Mayo addressed his emotional response to the Baltimore Orioles demoting him to Triple-A Norfolk.

Mar 11, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles infielder Coby Mayo (86) looks on against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The lead-up to Opening Day has been surprisingly hectic for the Baltimore Orioles. Between all the injuries, position battles and roster uncertainty, there's been no shortage of drama.

That chaos intensified on Tuesday when star prospect Coby Mayo was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, where he spent most of last season. The Orioles' No. 2 prospect wasn't thrilled about the news, telling reporters "It obviously sucks, because you feel like you've proved everything you needed to...It's kind of a lose-lose going to Norfolk"

Mayo's comments received considerable media attention and fan backlash for implying he deserved a spot on Baltimore's roster. Critics pointed out his lackluster .191/.239/.262 batting line in spring training and his abysmal .098/.196/.098 slash line during the regular season last year, indicating he's still not ready for the big leagues.

The following day, Mayo shared a post to X addressing his controversial quotes, essentially apologizing and walking back his initial remarks.

pic.twitter.com/ry5OMuqFpo

— Coby Mayo (@cobymayox) March 20, 2025

"The comments I made yesterday to the media after being optioned were by no means directed to the Orioles organization or the Norfolk Tides," Mayo wrote. "I was frustrated in the moment and things were taken out of context."

The 23-year-old infielder took accountability for his demotion, writing, "I will be the first to tell you I didn't do enough this spring to break camp with the big league team." He also promised to use the demotion as motivation to improve his performance and get back to the Major Leagues as soon as possible.

This is a smart move by Mayo to defuse the situation and avoid becoming a major distraction before the season starts. Hopefully this helps the negativity blow over and he can get back to playing baseball.

Mayo will likely get another chance to make the Orioles soon, but it's up to him to be ready when it comes and make the most of it.