Coby Mayo Seizing Opportunity with Orioles Amid Westburg Injury

When news broke early in spring training that the Baltimore Orioles were already dealing with injuries to both Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg, it brought back memories of last season’s injury-riddled campaign.

Westburg’s injury is particularly frustrating for the Orioles, as it is something he dealt with throughout last season. The 27-year-old spent time on the injured list early in the year with a left hamstring strain before suffering a right ankle sprain later in the season.

Because of those setbacks, the Orioles often had to rely on fill-in players to hold down the fort while Westburg recovers. One of those players has been former top prospect Coby Mayo.

Once viewed as a potential cornerstone for the franchise, Mayo has seen limited playing time at the major league level and has struggled to find success in those opportunities. As a result, he has become something of an afterthought for many fans.

Now, with Westburg sidelined once again, Mayo finds another opportunity in front of him, and it doesn’t appear he plans on letting this one slip away.

Coby Mayo continues to put together an impressive spring

Know who else is having a strong offensive spring? Fellow former top Orioles prospect Coby Mayo.

Mayo ripped a 102.7 mph RBI double to left field in the 7th and is now hitting .421 (8-for-19) with 3 doubles and 5 RBIs in 8 Grapefruit League games. https://t.co/yuKM5ZvfLs
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) March 7, 2026

So far this spring, Mayo has made the most of his opportunities. In 22 at-bats, he is hitting .409 with a .920 OPS while also looking much improved defensively at third base. Of course, it is still spring training, and those numbers don’t necessarily reflect what could happen during the regular season. However, for Mayo, this performance is not just a short burst of success but rather a continuation of the progress he showed toward the end of last season.

In September, Mayo had his best month yet in the big leagues, hitting .301 with five home runs and a .941 OPS. It was a stretch that resembled the version of Mayo who once ranked among baseball’s top prospects.

It’s not uncommon for players to need a season or two to fully adjust to the big leagues, especially in Mayo’s case, where he has never truly had the opportunity to start a season with a consistent role. The 24-year-old also isn’t far removed from back-to-back minor league seasons in 2023 and 2024 in which he hit 25 or more home runs.

“I think just swinging at the right pitches has been good so far, and not missing pitches,” Mayo said. “I’ve missed some, and those at-bats kind of never work out in your favor when you’re missing good pitches to hit. Pitchers are too good to miss fastball that’s in a good spot to hit, and I feel like I’m just in a good mindset right now and just working.”

Mayo should break camp with the team as the starting third baseman with Westburg sidelined. If he continues to progress and show why he was once viewed as a cornerstone prospect, Mayo could quickly reestablish himself as an important part of Baltimore’s future.

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