When Coby Mayo reached first base Wednesday after getting his first MLB hit, he let out a big sigh of relief.
He was trying not to stress about that milestone, but, as he went 0-for-16 to start his career, it began to weigh on him. He kept telling himself to flush it, allowing himself to think about it for a bit postgame but using the water from his shower to wash away everything that happened that day.
“I think this level is harder than anyone ever thinks.”
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde
He reminded himself one game at a time, that his moment would come eventually. It finally did in the fifth inning, when he hit a single to left field. His teammates collected the ball for him. He plans to give it to his mother, who was in town to see the first hit.
Mayo also had a walk in the seventh in what would be a crucial inning in the Orioles’ 4-1 win over the Nationals.
“Struggling comes with every level,” Mayo said. “If you don’t struggle at first, you are going to struggle at some point. Hopefully, this is the right step forward.”
Mayo is just the latest in a line of young Orioles position players who had a tough transition to the majors. Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser, Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, all highly touted prospects, also struggled at first. Henderson and Rutschman were allotted the time they needed at the major league level to put the pieces together. Holliday and Cowser were optioned back to Triple-A.
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“I think this level is harder than anyone ever thinks,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “It’s really, really normal to go through early struggles. It’s more normal than not. Sometimes it takes a little while to adapt to the big leagues.”
The next few days, as the Orioles prepare to face three right-handed Boston starters (with one TBA), will be telling in how the Orioles decide to move forward with Mayo’s development.
He has his first hit, so do they keep him in the majors and see if Mayo, a right-handed batter, can keep it going during the four-game Red Sox series? Do they keep him on the bench until they face a left-handed pitcher again? Or do they send him back to the minors, even though he has proven he can handle Triple-A pitching?
The decision is not as easy as it might have been just a month ago. Their infield stock is running low — Connor Norby was traded to the Marlins, and Jorge Mateo and Jordan Westburg are out until at least the end of September. The Orioles are also tied with the Yankees for the division lead, and every game will matter down the stretch.
When Cowser and Holliday were optioned, they were swapped for an experienced veteran, Aaron Hicks coming in for Cowser last August and Ryan McKenna for Holliday in May. The extra time in the minors benefited both prospects.
Cowser, 7-for-61 in 26 games last season, is hitting .245 with 18 home runs and is a candidate for American League Rookie of the Year. Holliday, 2-for-34 in his first stint, is hitting .255 with five home runs since he was recalled.
The same might happen if the Orioles option Mayo. The once flush infield prospect pipeline has vanished, but they have J.D. Davis and Jean Segura, who were recently signed to minor league deals. Nick Maton, Terrin Vavra and Liván Soto are also options.
But for Mayo, who was hitting .301 with 20 home runs with Norfolk at the time of his call-up, going back to Triple-A may not be what he needs to improve. It’s major league pitching he needs to face, and he’s not going to find that in the International League. He quickly noticed, he said, a major difference in the caliber of starters.
“That slider down and away or the changeup down and away, they are going to keep throwing them, stuff moving away from me,” Mayo said. “I got the one moving in to me tonight, and I was able to capitalize on it for a hit. They are going to keep doing it until you prove you can do otherwise. It’s the best level in the world, there’s no level higher than this, and there’s a reason why they’re here.”
And maybe that one hit was all Mayo needed. Henderson, who slumped through the first two months of his rookie season, got back on track with just one hit. Then another. Before he knew it, he had 13 hits in a six-game span.
The same could happen for Mayo now, if he’s given the chance to stay.
“I know he definitely has a little breath of fresh air now, but very happy for him and glad he could get it, especially at home,” Henderson said.
