Coby Mayo 2023

[Just Regular]

Tonight Mayo was perfect at 29 and 30 degree launch angles on the nose for the two taters - the 100 and 102 EV's are kind of flimsy for home runs.

 

 

 

[emmett16]

Was listening to MLB Network radio this morning on drive home from NC and they interviewed Coby Mayo.  Seemed like a really nice young man.  He was a great interview.  He mentioned a few things I thought were interesting tidbits:

1. He started wearing contacts this year.  He said he noticed a huge improvement and attributed some of his success to the use of contacts.

2. He said he embraces having all the elite prospects around him and that plus the hitting & fielding trainers have made him better than he thinks he'd be in another organization.  He embraces the challenge to crack the MLB roster with all the other talented IFers on the team already and in AAA.  

3. He's playing a lot more 1st base to be ready for anywhere they put him in the future.  He said the Org wants his bat in the lineup anyway they can and that the organization emphasizes defensive flexibility to be able to get bats into the lineup anyway they can.  

4. He's learned to take the walk.  Realizes that it helps set him up to have success in future at bats.  

Edited August 27, 2023 by emmett16

[Sports Guy]

13 hours ago, Gurgi said:

No doubt he starts next year in AAA.  I dont see him winning a spot in spring training.  But honestly where are you going to put him?  Westburg looks decent.  Ortiz should be SS or 2nd.  Mayo might just push Westburg off third?    

This is more problems than I think the Orioles have ever had before.   

Why does this question keep getting asked of Mayo? He is a first baseman long term. Maybe the OF but first is likely. And then he gets some at bats at DH.

He may get time at third every once in a while but first is where he will be.

Edited August 27, 2023 by Sports Guy

[Jim'sKid26]

4 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Why does this question keep getting asked of Mayo? He is a first baseman long term. Maybe the OF but first is likely. And then he gets some at bats at DH.

He may get time at third every once in a while but first is where he will be.

I think I agree with you but don't share the certainty you seem to possess on this topic. 

I think the O's philosophy has been to promote defensive flexibility and encourage guys to play multiple positions. While I see the logic in that it allows the manager the ability to get certain bats and combinations of bats in the lineup on any given day, I wonder if it makes the learning curve at certain positions longer and the nuances of mastery of a position less attainable. It's a tradeoff in my opinion.

I suspect Mayo may play 3B and 1B at the MLB level with a bit of RF thrown in early in his career. But I also think he settles in at 1B as his career progresses.

[Sports Guy]

22 minutes ago, Jim'sKid26 said:

I think I agree with you but don't share the certainty you seem to possess on this topic. 

I think the O's philosophy has been to promote defensive flexibility and encourage guys to play multiple positions. While I see the logic in that it allows the manager the ability to get certain bats and combinations of bats in the lineup on any given day, I wonder if it makes the learning curve at certain positions longer and the nuances of mastery of a position less attainable. It's a tradeoff in my opinion.

I suspect Mayo may play 3B and 1B at the MLB level with a bit of RF thrown in early in his career. But I also think he settles in at 1B as his career progresses.

The thing, the Os are doing this because they can and perhaps need to right now. Once Holliday is here and you have him and Henderson playing everyday (because those are 155+ game guys), the need for that starts to go away.

 

[emmett16]

23 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

The thing, the Os are doing this because they can and perhaps need to right now. Once Holliday is here and you have him and Henderson playing everyday (because those are 155+ game guys), the need for that starts to go away.

 

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.  It really does seem like positional flexibility is a point of emphasis throughout the organization.  It creates insurance plans for injury, maneuverability for roster additions, helps with rest/optimal performance, and optimizing lineups/match ups.  To your point on the match-ups, I'm not sure anyone supplants Gunnar and Jackson.  But the positional flexibility allows them to play/rotate 5 IFers for 3 spots.  

[Tony-OH]

The more I watch Mayo at 3B the more I think he can play there at the big league level. Yeah, there will be some errors but damn he can make some plays with that arm that very few players can make. He just made a play after he took two or three steps into fair terrirtory and threw a guy out at first by a step. 

[Punchandjudy]

6 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

The more I watch Mayo at 3B the more I think he can play there at the big league level. Yeah, there will be some errors but damn he can make some plays with that arm that very few players can make. He just made a play after he took two or three steps into fair terrirtory and threw a guy out at first by a step. 

I think he has remarkable agility for a man his size.  Much quicker feet and the arm is such an asset, it almost can’t get buried at First.  I’m fine if he plays there, heck I like the versatility, but I really think Third is an option and think he has enough athleticism to play Right.  He reminds me very much of Troy Glaus. 

[Jim'sKid26]

9 hours ago, Punchandjudy said:

  He reminds me very much of Troy Glaus. 

That would be a very nice career. Glaus was a very good player with 38.1 bWAR over his 13 year career.

4x all star and  2x silver slugger. I'd take that from Mayo and be over joyed with the outcome.

[casadeozo]

If we assume he begins the year at AAA and is called up if hes mastered the level by maybe June? Who would start at 1B for the O's next year if the plan is to have him on the team? Would assume Mountcastle is traded.

Edited August 28, 2023 by casadeozo

[ChuckS]

16 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

The more I watch Mayo at 3B the more I think he can play there at the big league level. Yeah, there will be some errors but damn he can make some plays with that arm that very few players can make. He just made a play after he took two or three steps into fair terrirtory and threw a guy out at first by a step. 

Yeah, I don't see this big log jam at 3B that some others seem to.  Seems to be more of a logjam at SS and 2B, particularly if Gunnar remains at short and Holliday is moved over to second due to his average (or below?) arm.  I can see a primary infield by mid-24 with Mayo at third, Gunnar at short, and Holliday at second with Westburg moving around between the infield positions and Mayo DH'ing or moving over to first a couple days a week.  I don't see one guy playing first base every day, especially with Mountcastle and O'Hearn still on the roster.  Could also be a place for Santander to get at bats, with faster outfielders on the way. 

Ortiz being injected into the MLB roster as a regular or Urias remaining here, probably would move Mayo off third (primarily).  I just see those two as the most likely to be trimmed from the roster via trade, Ortiz because the organization has already shown a preference for Westburg and Urias because he is already not a full time player and will start to get more expensive. 

Edited August 28, 2023 by ChuckS

[Roy Firestone]

On 8/27/2023 at 9:01 AM, Sports Guy said:

Why does this question keep getting asked of Mayo? He is a first baseman long term. Maybe the OF but first is likely. And then he gets some at bats at DH.

He may get time at third every once in a while but first is where he will be.

He's got a great arm that might be wasted at first, where I do think he'll end up..but he's a much better defender at third than people may think...hes no Ryan Mountcastle defensively in the infield..

[Sports Guy]

3 minutes ago, Roy Firestone said:

He's got a great arm that might be wasted at first, where I do think he'll end up..but he's a much better defender at third than people may think...hes no Ryan Mountcastle defensively in the infield..

If we didn’t have the left side sewn up for the next several years, I would be fine with him at third but the Holliday/Henderson combo on the left side takes away that need.

[baltfan]

20 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

The more I watch Mayo at 3B the more I think he can play there at the big league level. Yeah, there will be some errors but damn he can make some plays with that arm that very few players can make. He just made a play after he took two or three steps into fair terrirtory and threw a guy out at first by a step. 

Tony,

Does he appear to have narrowed his stance?  It looks like he almost takes a step now.  Before he was so wide he was almost out of the box.

[MurphDogg]

4 hours ago, casadeozo said:

If we assume he begins the year at AAA and is called up if hes mastered the level by maybe June? Who would start at 1B for the O's next year if the plan is to have him on the team? Would assume Mountcastle is traded.

Given the existence of the DH, I would not expect Mountcastle to be traded.

I would expect both O'Hearn and Mountcastle back next season. O'Hearn will be in his 3rd season of arbitration, but with a $1.4M salary in 2023, I don't expect his salary to be prohibitive. Mountcastle will be in his first season of arbitration.

If they need to trade someone at the deadline because everyone is playing well to make room then so be it, but you don't create a hole in the offseason that you hope to be able to be able to fill it by June.