The vibes are immaculate for the Baltimore Orioles in the early going of Spring Training, as they have a new and improved roster that's looking to redeem the team from their disappointing 2025 campaign. In fact, the vibes are so good that the Orioles are finding new and hilarious ways to keep players on their toes — with Coby Mayo being the “victim” of a prank on Saturday.
Mayo, who played 70 games at first base this season, is still searching for his new home in the diamond following the Orioles' blockbuster signing of Pete Alonso earlier in the offseason. He's had plenty of experience at third base, although it did look as if he would suit up for the team at his familiar first base home when he received the call from manager Craig Albernaz in their 7-5 loss to the Atlanta Braves.
However, Mayo ended up playing shortstop, with Gunnar Henderson moving to third base. This was an unexpected development for Mayo, as reported by Jake Rill of MLB.com, and Albernaz simply wanted Mayo to “have fun” with the experience.
Mayo's defensive versatility is going to be tested, and there's no better way to improve at a certain position than to gain valuable live-game reps. It's unlikely that the Orioles ever deploy him there once the games begin to count in the regular season, but this is still going to be some indispensable experience that may come in handy in the future.
Coby Mayo to take the next step for the Orioles?
Mayo was supposed to be a part of the vaunted Orioles young core that would take this team over the hump. Alas, the team's tantalizing prospects haven't exactly set the MLB world on fire, with Mayo struggling thus far in the early goings of his big-league career.
The 24-year-old put up an OPS of .687 last season, and as a corner infielder who primarily played first base, this simply would not cut it. But he's still so young that he might be post-hype breakout star for the Orioles if he continues to put the work in.
