So, Coby Mayo is up.
The Baltimore Orioles called him up, and honestly, it feels like a mix of excitement and nervousness for fans.
He is this huge kid with tons of potential, but the big leagues move fast.
You don’t get many chances to figure things out before you’re sent back down.
Who Exactly Is Coby Mayo?
Most people know him as that high-profile prospect from the system.
He was ranked pretty high for a reason, showing flashes of massive power in the minors.
But being a top prospect and being a Major League player? That is two completely different beasts.
He plays third base, a position that has been a mystery for the Orioles for a long time.
Now they have him, but what does he actually do?
The Gold Glove Potential
From what I’ve seen, his glove is the real deal.
People often overlook defense when they talk about young stars, but I think it’s his strongest asset right now.
He has soft hands and covers a lot of ground.
It’s not just about catching the ball; it’s about his arm.
He can make the throw from anywhere.
Most people overlook this part, but a strong arm saves runs. Oddly enough,
If he can keep that up, he’s going to be a staple in the lineup for years.
Why His Bat is a Concern
Okay, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the strikeouts.
His strikeout rate is honestly scary.
In the minors, he could get away with it because the pitching isn’t as polished.
In the majors? You can’t miss pitches like that every time.
From my perspective, he struggles a lot against breaking stuff.
He chases sliders that are just off the plate.
It’s a habit he’s going to have to break immediately.
MLB statistics show that high strikeout rates are hard to overcome, especially for a rookie.
Can He Stick at Third Base?
There is always talk about moving players around.
Some people think he’s too slow to stay at third base long term.
Maybe he moves to first base?
But you gotta remember, he’s still young.
His athleticism is still developing.
I think if he works on his plate discipline, he can stick right there at third.
It’s better to have a young defender than an average one, right?
What This Means for the 2024 Season
It’s a tough spot for him.
The pressure is going to be immense.
Every time he steps up to the plate, people are going to be watching.
If he starts slow, the coaching staff might panic.
But he has that power.
Even if he’s not hitting .300, if he’s hitting 20 homers a year, he’s valuable.
The Orioles need that kind of pop.
Final Thoughts
Is Coby Mayo the next Nolan Arenado? Maybe not yet.
But he’s definitely got the potential to be a solid everyday player.
He’s going to have bad games.
He’s going to strike out 5 times in a game. And this is where things get interesting.
That’s just part of the learning curve.
The key is how he handles the adversity.
Baseball is a game of failures, but you want to fail less than your competition.
For now, we wait and see. Oddly enough,
It’s exciting to have a young talent like him in the organization.
I just hope he gets enough at-bats to figure it out.
Image source: pexels.com
Image source credit: pexels.com
