Jorge Mateo’s Future with the Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles claimed shortstop Jorge Mateo off waivers in early August of the 2021 Season.

Since being claimed, Jorge Mateo‘s time with the Baltimore Orioles has been intriguing. He’s only 26 years old, has speed, and plays solid defense at shortstop. The next question will be whether he’s going to be part of the Orioles moving forward with this rebuild. Let’s hope he can develop into a mainstay in the lineup.

Mateo has only recorded 220 at-bats in his short career, so if he can get consistent playing time, as well as get coaching from Brandon Hyde and newly hired hitting coaches Ryan Fuller and Matt Borgschulte, he could end up being a solid major league player for the Orioles. If not, his salary won’t have any impact on the roster if he’s ultimately released or traded to another team.

What I saw from Jorge Mateo while he was in the lineup was a player that brings a lot of energy, speed, and pop to the lineup. Where to put him in the lineup will be hard to predict now, but he can be at the top or the bottom if the team needs someone with speed to get on base and steal bases. If Mateo can get on base on a regular basis, other teams will have to worry about him stealing, and that will help the Orioles’ offense immensely.

General Manager Mike Elias has an eye for talent and knew that Jorge Mateo could be special for this young and rebuilding team. What did he have to lose with this waiver claim? Let’s just hope that the coaches do whatever they can to develop Mateo into the young superstar that he was supposed to be when he was signed by the New York Yankees as an international free agent.