Orioles No. 3 Prospect Reacts to First Major League Hit

Getty Coby Mayo celebrating his first major league hit during an August 14 game against the Washington Nationals.

Seven games is what it took for Coby Mayo to record his first major league hit with the Baltimore Orioles. Mayo hit an 86 mph slider off of DJ Herz down the left field line for a single, in the fifth inning of an August 14 win over the Washington Nationals. Prior to the hit, he was 0-for-18 at the plate since debuting with the Orioles on August 2.

Mayo spoke with reporters after the win, describing the career moment as a sigh of relief.

“A sigh of relief, for sure,” Mayo said, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. “I was never too stressed about the hit. But then, it gets to you a little bit and you want it. You want it so bad because you’re so competitive. And then, you get that first hit. I think, honestly, it came with that first play in the first inning. A backhand tough play, and just to get that out, it gave me a little bit of confidence in that moment and that kind of set me up for the whole game.”

Mayo was absent from Baltimore’s lineup for the first of two games against the Nationals. Fans were starting to brace for the 22-year-old’s seemingly imminent return to the minor leagues.

He wasn’t worried, though. And neither were the Orioles.

“I don’t think anyone in here was too stressed about what was going on,” Mayo continued. “I think they trust me, and this coaching staff and this organization as a whole has done a great job throughout the minor leagues of preparing us for this moment. Struggling comes with every level. If you don’t struggle at first, you’re going to struggle at some point. Hopefully, this is the right step forward and this can keep going.”

Mayo is the first player in club history to begin their career 0-for-18, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. He’ll look to ride the momentum into the upcoming four-game series against the Boston Red Sox.

Brandon Hyde on Coby Mayo: ‘We’re All Happy for Him’

Following the win over Washington, team skipper Brandon Hyde met with reporters. The first thing he addressed was Mayo’s hit.

“Anytime a young player gets their first hit, you can see their relief in his face there at first base,” Hyde told reporters on August 14. “And another good at-bat with a walk. Made a couple nice plays defensively, too. So yeah, we’re all happy for him.”

Hyde can be credited with manifesting Mayo’s hit against the Nationals. He mentioned it as a possibility when speaking with reporters prior to first pitch.

“When guys come up, you obviously want to see them get off to a good start and it’s been a little bit of a struggle for him so far, but hopefully he can get that first one tonight and play well for us,” Hyde said on August 14.

Hyde stressed the difficulty of the transition from the minors to the majors, expressing little concern for Mayo’s trajectory.

“I think this level is harder than anybody ever thinks, and so it’s really, really normal to go through early struggles and it’s more normal than not,” Hyde continued. “Sometimes, it takes a little bit of a while to adapt to the big leagues.”

Mayo is the Orioles’ number three ranked prospect, and the 10th-ranked prospect in all of MLB.

Seranthony Dominguez Emerging as Go-To Closer

When Baltimore traded Austin Hays to the Philadelphia Phillies, it’s unlikely they knew that they were landing their would-be closer in return. But nine games into his tenure with the Orioles, Seranthony Dominguez is making a case for the role.

Since landing with the club, Dominguez has pitched nine innings. He’s recorded two saves and a 1.00 ERA.

Brandon Hyde commended Dominguez’s efforts, while also mentioning Craig Kimbrel, who’s role is in limbo amidst a slump.

“He’s been pitching the end of the game here for a couple weeks. Hopefully we can get Craig [Kimbrel] going. But he’s been doing a really good job for us since we got him at the deadline,” Hyde told reporters postgame.

With the playoffs fast approaching, Baltimore will have to begin weighing their options for one of the most important roles in sports. Dominguez may have the hot hand, but Kimbrel is a future Hall of Famer.