While the Orioles having such a good farm system is excellent, prospects can sometimes get lost. It is hard to make a name for yourself in such a loaded farm system, especially when you don’t have the at-bats that some other prospects have had. In last week’s article about Jean Pinto, I discussed this issue, but now it is time to talk about a prospect that has in fact gotten some recognition on the top 30 list, Coby Mayo.
Mayo was a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft class, and he is listed at 6-5, 215 pounds. Mayo was one of two draft picks to get an over-slot deal with the Orioles in this draft. Mayo only fell to the fourth round due to signability concerns over his commitment to The University of Florida.
The Orioles had enough money saved with the Heston Kjerstad selection that they could get Mayo away from his commitment.
Mayo is currently making a name for himself, batting .314/.427/.569, with eight home runs and a .996 OPS. He started in the GCL and was so good he was moved to Low–A Delmarva.
Mayo’s primary tool is his power. He obliterates baseballs, and this can be seen in stats like home runs and exit velocities, which have reached 110 MPH. Mayo has a long swing, but he has shown the ability to shorten it to get to inside pitches.
Mayo also can draw walks, as he has 23 this year.
Mayo’s offensive ceiling is though the proverbial roof. He is remarkable when you have a player who hits for many home runs and has a great on-base ability with his pure hit tool.
While his offense is what makes him such an intriguing prospect, Mayo isn’t one – dimensional.
Mayo has excellent defense at third, showign solid reaction times and great footwork, which are needed for good defense at third. These tools are overshadowed by his primary tool on defense, his arm. Mayo’s arm strength pops when he unleashes it.
He showed this on a recent play where a slowly hit ground ball was hit to him, and it looked like the runners would be safe. Mayo then showed off his arm strength and launched the ball over to first for the out.
This is a classic third baseman play that elite defenders make, and Mayo made it look easy. Mayo also has soft hands for third base, which allows him to scoop ground balls off the dirt easily.
While he doesn’t have the best speed in the world, Coby does have eight stolen bases and has shown to be an intelligent base runner so far.
Mayo’s flaws come from two factors: he can be a hitter that rakes up the strikes out with his long swing and aggressive approach. Mayo also hasn’t played a lot yet and is only 19 so expect to see some growing pains, similar to those we see with Gunnar Henderson.
Mayo has a very high ceiling with his offensive profile and his strong mechanics and arm on defense. In terms of how good he will be, it is hard to say. I don’t expect him to keep up this stretch, but I expect him to be at least above average on offense and be a good defender at third.
Mayo needs more time in the minors before solidifying himself with the other talented prospects in the Orioles system. Mayo still has one of the highest ceilings in the Orioles farm, which is saying something considering his company.
It should only be a matter of time before people start excepting Mayo as one of the best prospects in Birdland.
