Orioles’ Coby Mayo has blueprint for getting back to MLB

NORFOLK, Va. — Coby Mayo’s first stint in the major leagues didn’t go as planned.

The slugging Norfolk Tides corner infielder went 1 for 17 (.059) in seven games with the Baltimore Orioles this month before being optioned back to Triple-A.

But Mayo, the second-ranked prospect in the system and the 10th-ranked prospect in all of baseball according to MLB.com, understands that failure is often part of the process. He’s seen it up close.

Mayo, 22, is the latest Orioles prospect to reach the major leagues and struggle out of the gate. Current Baltimore stars like Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser and, most recently, Jackson Holliday all had rocky beginnings to their big league careers.

Often, it’s making it back and sticking that’s the hardest part.

“You get a taste of it,” Mayo said. “Everyone wants to go up and go up and go up, and when you get there, sometimes it’s a big smack in the face. But I think you get to learn from it, come down here, fix those mistakes and go up and feel more comfortable.”

Mayo, a 2020 fourth-round draft pick out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Florida, entered Saturday’s game against Worcester hitting .299 with 21 home runs and 65 RBIs through 81 games with Norfolk. His .960 OPS ranks second in the International League.

So why didn’t Mayo’s Triple-A success transfer to the major leagues after his long-speculated promotion? The short answer: Playing in the big leagues is no joke.

“Honestly, it’s hard to explain because I think at times, people think the game is easy,” Tides manager Buck Britton said. “The gap between Triple-A and the big leagues is huge right now. Just the quality of arms that you see nightly up there, there’s no real days off. You look down here, those guys are throwing 88 miles an hour down here. Everybody’s throwing 96 up there, or 100. They have better command. They command the baseball with that stuff, so it’s a big gap.”

Few understand it better than Norfolk outfielder Daniel Johnson, who entered the weekend with 777 minor league games with 13 teams and 35 big league games under his belt.

Johnson, 29, played parts of two seasons in Cleveland after being drafted and traded by the Washington Nationals.

Johnson had a quick answer when asked the age-old question about which accomplishment is harder.

“Definitely staying in the big leagues,” he said. “Things happen. Some things are out of your control. But it’s definitely harder to stick in the big leagues. You can do everything right and [have it] still not go your way. So it’s one of those things.”

Primarily a third baseman who dabbles at first base, Mayo was sent back to work on his defense and use more of the field with his bat. He’s focusing on simplifying his load at the plate and, he said, “just trying to polish up some things.”

Not insignificant is the fact that Mayo was thrust into a pennant race; the Orioles entered Saturday 1 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East.

The stakes are incomparable.

“I definitely think that there are nerves, no matter who you are,” Mayo said. “It’s a big stage. It’s different than Triple-A.

“All the little things matter. Everything’s being microscoped times a million over there. But that’s the way it’s supposed to be. You’re trying to chase a World Series, and that’s how it’s going to be.”

With the Orioles, reaching the fruition of a massive rebuild, in contention, prospects like Mayo stand less of a chance.

“We know that it’s hard, and when you’re in a playoff race, too, there’s not a very long leash,” Britton said. “If this was four or five years ago, you probably get to go up there and grind out some stuff and continue your development up there. But right now, it’s about winning games. And if you’re not one of the best 26, it’s kind of harsh, but they don’t really have time for it to come around. They need to win games because that’s what we’re trying to do, is win now.”

Veterans like Johnson, who has been through it, can dole out advice to young guys like Mayo.

Playing at the Triple-A level is inherently frustrating. Everyone is one call away, but sometimes the call never comes.

Johnson’s words of wisdom were simple.

“Just keep being the same person you were before,” he said he told Mayo. “Don’t change anything. Keep playing your same game, and the opportunity will come again. That’s something you can’t control. What you can control is how you play, how your attitude is. So control that while you can.”