The Baltimore Orioles have called up third baseman Coby Mayo, one of the top prospects in baseball, in advance of their Friday game against the Cleveland Guardians. Mayo will be making his major-league debut. In order to make room on active roster for Mayo, infielder Livan Soto has been optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
Mayo, age 22 and a former fourth-rounder out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, was No. 22 on our preseason list of the top 50 prospects in all of baseball. Here’s part of R.J. Anderson’s write-up:Â
“Mayo lacks a picturesque swing, but his operation certainly works for him. He’s hit at every level to date, including at Triple-A, where more than 52% of his batted balls had an exit velocity of at least 95 mph. Mayo’s maximum exit velocity (112 mph), meanwhile, was right in line with the likes of Paul Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez. He’s not just a grip-and-rip hitter, either. He doesn’t often go fishing, and his in-zone contact rate stayed above 80%. The Orioles’ abundance of better-fielding young infielders could force Mayo down the defensive spectrum, perhaps to first base or right field. His run-producing capacity should make him a notable part of their lineup anyway.”
This season, Mayo, in 77 games for Triple-A Norfolk, has a slash line of .301/.375/.586 with 20 home runs and 22 doubles. For his minor-league career, he has an OPS of .929 across parts of four seasons.Â
Mayo’s call-up is prompted by the broken hand suffered by Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg.Â
The Orioles enter Friday’s slate with a record of 65-45 and in a tie with the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.Â
