Coby Mayo is forcing the Orioles to pay attention.
At just 24, the first baseman is doing damage against left-handed pitching in a way that only a tiny slice of Baltimore hitters have ever managed. In fact, only two players in Orioles history have hit more home runs off lefties in a single season than Mayo has already piled up.
Gary Roenicke hit 18 in 1983, the last Orioles team to reach the World Series, while Rafael Palmeiro reached 14 or more homers against lefties in four different Baltimore seasons. Mayo is now in that neighborhood, and the numbers make the case plain: this is rare company for a player still trying to settle in at the major league level.
The broader argument is simple. Baltimore is in a muddled race with other bad teams for the final Wild Card spot, and the club isn’t built for October.
With slugging first baseman Pete Alonso dealing with a calf injury, the Orioles would be wise to give Mayo as much runway as possible at first base. Christian Encarnacion-Strand is described as the better third baseman, and he’s starting to heat up at the plate himself.
Mayo’s bat has earned the chance. Not many players anywhere are doing more against lefties right now - he’s in the top five - and he’s also shown more against right-handed pitching since the All-Star Break, posting an .808 OPS in 47 plate appearances against righties. The power has been showing up, too.
Against lefties, Mayo’s season now sits among the best Orioles performances ever, at least by OPS and with a minimum of 100 plate appearances. Here’s the top 12 in club history:
- Albert Belle, 1999 - 1.283 OPS, 128 PA, 11 HR, 27 RBI
- Frank Robinson, 1969 - 1.154 OPS, 189 PA, 12 HR, 43 RBI
- Randy Milligan, 1990 - 1.153 OPS, 129 PA, 8 HR, 22 RBI
- Merv Rettenmund, 1970 - 1.148 OPS, 128 PA, 10 HR, 22 RBI
- Chris Hoiles, 1995 - 1.138 OPS, 122 PA, 12 HR, 27 RBI
- Matt Wieters, 2011 - 1.124 OPS, 142 PA, 11 HR, 26 RBI
- Cal Ripken Jr., 1986 - 1.111 OPS, 187 PA, 12 HR, 25 RBI
- Steve Pearce, 2014 - 1.110 OPS, 111 PA, 9 HR, 18 RBI
- Don Baylor, 1975 - 1.105 OPS, 153 PA, 6 HR, 24 RBI
- Cal Ripken Jr., 1991 - 1.088 OPS, 185 PA, 12 HR, 31 RBI
- Coby Mayo, 2026 - 1.080 OPS, 116 PA, 13 HR, 24 RBI
- Frank Robinson, 1968 - 1.075 OPS, 140 PA, 6 HR, 17 RBI
Mayo still has work to do. He needs to trim the swing-and-miss and make better decisions at the plate.
But the raw power is obvious, and Monday’s blast in Tampa was another reminder of how hard he can hit a baseball. He followed that with another solo home run on Tuesday.
There are obvious obstacles around him, too. His swing has long levers and some holes, and the Orioles’ player development setup and strategies are working against him.
Still, he’s a good kid who wants to improve, and he’s starting to build confidence in stretches this season. That’s enough reason to keep his bat in the lineup.
The problem is that Tyler O’Neill is also getting going, and his $19 million deal means the Orioles will keep looking for ways to make him matter even though he offers no upside. That’s the tension here, and it leaves Mayo fighting for the at-bats he’s clearly earned.
Whether Baltimore’s front office and Craig Albernaz will do the sensible thing is another question entirely.
In Other News...
Gunnar Henderson Has Become A Worrying Sign For The Orioles
Gunnar Henderson has been one of the faces of the Orioles young core, so any hint of regression lands with extra weight in Baltimore. MLB Network analyst Dan ODowd recently raised alarms about Hendersons direction, pointing to a decline in both his hitting and defense since the 2025 All-Star break and framing it as more than a temporary slump. For a team built around internal development, concerns like that naturally spill beyond one player and into the broader question of how the Orioles are shaping their talent.
ODowd went a step further by suggesting the organization, under Mike Elias, may not be getting the most out of Hendersons ability. He even floated the idea that the shortstop could be traded by 2027, while also recommending changes to the developmental setup, including bringing in Bill Ripken as an infield coordinator and perhaps involving Buck Showalter in some role. Whether Baltimore takes any of that seriously is another matter, but the conversation underscores how important Henderson remains to the franchises future and how quickly expectations can shift when a cornerstone player starts to look off track. [Read more 🡒]
Gunnar Henderson Might Finally Have The Fix Orioles Fans Needed
Gunnar Hendersons recent slide had become one of the quieter concerns around Camden Yards, especially for a lineup that leans on him to help set the tone. So the sight of Pete Alonso spending time with Henderson in practice, working through batting mechanics and zeroing in on lower-half posture and hip stability, offered a different kind of development for Orioles fans to track. It is the sort of behind-the-scenes tweak that can matter as much as any box score, particularly when a young hitter is trying to regain the timing that made him one of the clubs most important bats.
What makes the collaboration notable is the source of the advice, with Alonso drawing on his own experience to help Henderson sort out the issues that have made fastballs such a stubborn problem this season. Henderson has shown signs of improvement lately after the prolonged slump, but the work points to a more specific fix than a simple hot streak. For Baltimore, the appeal is obvious: if the changes hold, the Orioles might finally be getting closer to the version of Henderson they have been waiting for. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Prospect Suddenly Has A Real Shot To Fill Key Bullpen Need
Luis De Len has become one of the more interesting arms in the Orioles system this summer, and not just because of his prospect status. Baltimore is moving him into a relief role at Triple-A Norfolk, a shift that gives the organization a chance to see whether his stuff can translate quickly to a bullpen setting and possibly help fill a need later in the season.
De Len already made his first relief appearance recently, and he has impressed in both Double-A and Triple-A this year, which is why the transition is worth watching closely. Manager Craig Albernaz has been upbeat about De Lens talent and what he could bring to the club, and if the adjustment keeps going well, the Orioles may have found a candidate for the bullpen without having to look far outside the system. [Read more 🡒]