When Coby Mayo began playing regularly at first base, his presence there was by necessity. Ryan Mountcastle was in the midst of a long stay on the injured list and Ryan O’Hearn was the Orioles’ most attractive commodity heading into the trade deadline.
Mayo is still in development, both as a hitter and corner infielder, but interim manager Tony Mansolino said before Sunday’s game that the first base experiment is going well and that the young slugger has an opportunity to establish himself as the team’s long-term answer at the position.
He hasn’t done that yet, and there are all sorts of possible scenarios that could play out over the next year or so. Mountcastle was back at first for the series finale against the Athletics on Sunday and exciting prospect Samuel Basallo is projected as both a premier catcher and solid first baseman.
That’s why the next six weeks are so important for Mayo, who needs to continue his defensive education and show that his awesome minor league power plays at this level. Come next spring, it could get pretty crowded on the infield roster and third base – where he was originally projected – apparently is no longer an option.
“We like him, that’s why he’s playing right now,” Mansolino said. “We want to see him do well. I don’t see the third base thing happening, but I don’t make all the decisions. For me right now, he’s playing a good first base. I think he tried really hard to play third base and it just didn’t work out. We also have this guy at third base that’s pretty darn good.”
So, in a perfect Orioles world, Jordan Westburg stays healthy and plays third base for the next five years or so and Mayo gets on a roll at the plate and positions himself to take over the other corner permanently, depending on Mountcastle’s status entering his final year of arbitration eligibility. At least, that appears to be the current organizational thought process.
“Is he going to unseat Jordan Westburg?” Mansolino asked rhetorically. “If he’s not, why are we playing him at third base. He’s got to be able to play first base. That’s where the at-bats are going to come from. So, for Coby, get very good at first base and then at that point, you’ve got to swing the bat. Because there are guys coming. Basallo’s coming and he plays a really good first base.”
Mayo swung the bat well on Sunday in a pinch-hitting role, driving home Alex Jackson with a 104-mph double to left center that gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead in a game they would lose in the ninth, 3-2.
But competition is the nature of the sport. Mayo just got here and there’s already somebody poised to take advantage of a huge opportunity if he doesn’t.
“There’s going to be competition internally for that job,’’ his manager added, “and Coby’s going to get some run. He’ll get a lot of chances to fail, which we’re giving him right now. And, at some point, the best man takes the job. That’s normal. That’s healthy. That’s what you want. And that situation is coming.”