DALLAS — Coby Mayo is sitting on a powder keg. He just needs to light the fuse.

“His bat could explode this year,” said Orioles general manager Mike Elias, “or at least take a step forward from his debut, and if that happens, we’ll be sure to get him into the lineup.”

The crackle of Mayo’s 82 home runs in fewer than 400 minor league games has dazzled the minds of executives and scouts alike. Mayo, who turned 23 on Tuesday, is ranked No. 8 on both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America’s list of top prospects. His overwhelming power earned him a big league call-up in August, then two more before the season was done.

But Mayo’s spark fizzled in Baltimore. The third baseman collected just four hits, all singles, in 41 at-bats. He struck out 22 times. He did not make the Orioles’ postseason roster.

Elias hasn’t cooled on his top prospect, however.

“He has yet to really establish himself in the majors, so he’s not somebody that we wanna put too much of a burden on right out the shoot,” said Elias, speaking to the media at the winter meetings. “But there’s so many ways for him to fit into this lineup.”

Of course, Mayo wasn’t the only Orioles rookie to stumble in 2024. Jackson Holliday, hailed as the club’s next superstar, went 2-for-34 in his first stint in Baltimore before being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. He improved in his second go-round, hitting .218 with five homers. But manager Brandon Hyde still hasn’t seen enough from Holliday to cement him as the team’s opening day second baseman.

“I’m not writing it in. I’m definitely keeping the options open,” said Hyde on Tuesday. “Talked to him yesterday as well. He feels great. He loves the swing adjustments he made. He’s in a great place physically, and he’s really excited to go in spring training.”

Mayo and Holliday need only look around the Orioles clubhouse to find examples of big league stars whose introductions to the majors fell flat.

Adley Rutschman is one. He hit .137 in his first 13 big league games. He was named to his first All-Star team 13 months later.

Gunnar Henderson is another. He batted .189 in April 2023, the first month of his first full season in the majors. He finished fourth in American League Most Valuable Player voting last month.

And then there’s Colton Cowser. His paltry .115 average in his first stint in the majors got him sent back to Norfolk. He just missed out on the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2024.

“No doubt in my mind that they’re gonna be really productive,” Cowser said of Mayo and Holliday. “I guess you can call it a struggle on paper, but ... I said this about myself, it never hurts to debut in the big leagues and struggle a little bit. I think it’s gonna make you a better player in the future and they know that.”

Why do Orioles prospects keep hitting snags their first time in the big leagues?

“That’s certainly the challenge and I think it’s the challenge that every organization is looking into,” said Anthony Villa, the Orioles’ director of player development. “‘How can we get our guys to go up and be impact players right away?’ It’s really tough and the majority of prospects don’t fulfill that immediately. We’ve seen some guys go up and do some really cool things right away but the majority of them go up and struggle and have to make adjustments.”

There’s no magic bullet. Each player comes with his own set of strengths and weaknesses. In today’s game, it’s nearly impossible for a rookie to take the league by surprise.

“You’re going up there and there’s so much information nowadays that the book’s out,” said Villar. “They know what type of player you were in Triple-A and they can take their best crack at it.”

Now it’s up to the infielders to respond. Cowser cited his first offseason after his big league debut as the turning point.

“Coming up in ‘23 helped me kind of understand what to expect going into ‘24,” he said. “I kind of knew that going into spring training, being told I was kind of just competing for a fourth outfield spot, and then kind of understanding what it would take to work into an everyday role.

“Going through the ebbs and flows of my first major league season, just kind of learned a lot about myself.”

Mayo and Holliday will each enter camp with a chance to claim a roster spot. Whatever happens, their teammates will be watching.

“I’m looking forward to how they play next year,” Cowser said.