[Baltimore Sun] Orioles’ Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo understand their shrinking roles
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Gunnar Henderson pulled Jackson Holliday aside. The Orioles were in Toronto in early August, and the rookie second baseman was just pinch-hit for with the bases loaded and his team down four. A chance to flip the result was stripped away from him.
Henderson knew what to say in the moment. After Holliday put down his bat and took his helmet off, Henderson told him to keep his head up, to not let being taken out in a critical spot discourage him.
“Don’t think too much about it,” Henderson told the 20-year-old. “It happened to me when I first got brought up. It’s just part of it. You’ll earn your way.”
Austin Slater walked in a run as Holliday’s replacement, but the Orioles never erased their deficit. They stranded the bases full in a three-run loss. Slater again hit for Holliday in a key spot Wednesday, when the outfielder struck out to strand two in a two-run defeat. “I’m a young player and haven’t crushed lefties, but Slater crushes lefties and is an unbelievable pinch hitter,” Holliday said the next morning.
The former No. 1 prospect hasn’t been an everyday player in the latter portion of his debut season, often being removed late or out of the lineup entirely against left-handed pitchers. Neither has Coby Mayo, who’s playing even more sparingly. There was hope the youngsters could replenish what Baltimore lost to injuries, but they’re now stuck in platoon roles and behind journeymen as they traverse their first taste of the big leagues. This isn’t how they envisioned their seasons unfolding.
One day, Holliday and Mayo will be regulars. Until then, they’re learning there’s no room in a playoff race for struggling rookies.
“My goal is to be an everyday player and someone that doesn’t get taken out of the game,” Holliday said.
The pair of infielders are receiving the typical rookie treatment, forced to take advantage of their minimal opportunities to earn more. Other Orioles have gone through this, most recently Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg last season and Heston Kjerstad over the previous two.
Holliday even points to Westburg as a blueprint for handling early difficulties. Holliday said Westburg, who played in 68 games as a rookie but only started and finished 43 of them, told him earlier this season that even he wasn’t sure what his role would be with the 2024 Orioles. Three months later, Westburg was a first-time All-Star.
Coby Mayo has recently played first base with the Orioles to help fill in for the injured Ryan Mountcastle. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Mayo, who has started and finished just three of the Orioles’ 17 games since he was recalled, is also learning how to adapt.
“It’s definitely different. Being in Triple-A, I know I’ll be playing every day pretty much in the two or three-hole,” said Mayo, who on Friday was named the organization’s minor league Player of the Year. “It doesn’t matter who comes in the game, you’re gonna be hitting. And then you come up here, you don’t know when you’re gonna be playing. So trying to make the opportunities worth it. Yeah, it’s different.”
Around the fourth or fifth inning of every game he doesn’t start, Mayo exits the dugout and heads to the batting cage to get ready while keeping an eye on the opponent’s bullpen. If they bring in a left-handed reliever, he knows his name might be called.
Few teams lean on platoon split statistics more than Baltimore. Holliday represents why manager Brandon Hyde chases those advantages — he’s hitting .191 against right-handers and .103 versus lefties, and four of his five home runs are against opposite-handed pitching.
“Obviously, it hasn’t all gone smoothly,” Holliday said. “There’s been good and bad moments. But I think it’s a great learning experience.”
Mayo, though, doesn’t fit that description. He had a higher average, on-base and slugging percentage against righties in 87 Triple-A games this season, and 24 of his 25 homers in the minors were against pitchers from the same side.
“I wouldn’t say they necessarily tell you why they’re doing it,” Mayo said of how the Orioles communicate substitution strategies. “I think everyone kind of has an idea. You’re at a point where, when a lefty comes in the game, you’re probably going to be hitting. Not much explanation other than that, just kind of like the left, right stuff.”
Holliday similarly said “we haven’t really had many of those conversations” when asked if the team has told him what he needs to improve on to earn more at-bats.
Neither of the young infielders have had extended stretches of play to garner more chances on their own. Mayo is 4-for-41 in the majors and Holliday has a .371 OPS over his past 15 games.
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Part of what’s pushed them to reserve roles is Hyde’s belief in Emmanuel Rivera and Liván Soto. Rivera has a .784 OPS in 21 games in Baltimore and is playing an impressive third base, while Soto has a .300 average in 11 games as an Oriole as the journeymen infielders help the lineup stay afloat amidst injuries and underperformances.
Right now, they’re the more trustworthy options. And Ramón Urías and Ryan Mountcastle are close to returning to take more opportunities away.
“They’re gonna do what’s in the best interest for the team to win,” Mayo said.
This is the first time either of the former top prospects has dealt with adversity as professionals. Holliday, Mayo and the Orioles hoped they’d contribute more to this stretch run than they are, but there’s still value in simply being in the dugout for consequential September games.
They’re confident they’ll be better because of it.
“It’s been a different month for me, for sure,” Mayo said. “I’ve never really had to go through this. I think it’s good for me.”
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