Inside The Orioles

Orioles Star Prospect Making Controversial Demotion Look Like Huge Mistake

Baltimore Orioles star prospect Coby Mayo looks like he belongs in the Major Leagues.

Tyler Maher

Mar 13, 2025; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Coby Mayo (16) doubles against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning during spring training at TD Ballpark.
Mar 13, 2025; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Coby Mayo (16) doubles against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning during spring training at TD Ballpark. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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Less than a month after failing to make the Baltimore Orioles' Major League roster out of spring training, Coby Mayo is already making that controversial decision look like a terrible mistake.

Mayo has started the season on fire at Triple-A Norfolk. Over his last five games, he's 7-for-16 (.438) with three extra-base hits, six RBI and five walks, showing remarkable power and plate discipline.

In two games over the weekend, Mayo smashed a pair of homers and reached base in all nine of his plate appearances.

Mayo's hot streak isn't a fluke, either, as he dominated his previous stints at Triple-A as well. In 165 games with Norfolk, he's hitting .277/.376/.539 with 37 homers, 41 doubles and 133 RBI.

The Orioles' No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, Mayo is clearly too good for Triple-A and has nothing left to prove there.

However, Baltimore sent the 23-year-old infielder down to start the season after his poor spring training. He failed to make a good impression, slashing .191/.239/.262 with more strikeouts (13) than hits (eight).

Mayo struggled during his call-up last year as well, batting .098/.196/.098 with 22 strikeouts and -0.7 WAR in his first 17 MLB games.

However, it's clear that Mayo needs and deserves more experience at the Major League level. There's nothing left for him to learn or gain at Triple-A.

With the Orioles ravaged by injuries and off to a slow start, Mayo should get another shot. They don't have much to lose by giving him regular at-bats for a while and letting him try to prove himself, similar to their approach with Jackson Holliday.

If he hits well, he could give Baltimore a much-needed spark. If he doesn't, the team can send him back to Triple-A or consider trading him while he still has some value.

Either way, the Orioles need to stop wasting his time in the minors and see what he can do.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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