Coby Mayo’s hot spring training start could crush Orioles trade rumors

Exactly what the Orioles needed to see.
Sep 5, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA;  Baltimore Orioles first baseman Coby Mayo (16) reacts to hitting a single during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images
Sep 5, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Coby Mayo (16) reacts to hitting a single during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

The early days of spring training have given Coby Mayo new life with the Baltimore Orioles. With injuries to second baseman Jackson Holliday and third baseman Jordan Westburg, Mayo now has a clear path to making Baltimore's Opening Day roster. Beyond that, it would seem that Mayo will open the season as the Orioles' starting third baseman.

Giving Mayo a runway at third base is one of the reasons why the Orioles aren't expected to add a third baseman before Opening Day, and the 24-year-old's blisteringly hot start during Grapefruit League play is confirming that plan.

Coby Mayo's hot spring training start could renew his future with the Orioles

Mayo has 6 hits through his first 12 plate appearances of spring training this year, and a wRC+ of 203 that confirms just how early it is to be examining spring training stats. Not that there is ever a time to put much stock into these performances. Though considering Mayo posted a 165 wRC+ during the final month of the 2025 season, the hot start to spring training is certainly encouraging.

The 2026 season figures to be a decisive year for Mayo's future in Baltimore. With the arrivals of Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward during the offseason, the expectation was that Mayo wouldn't break camp with the Orioles. In fact, there were rumors that the Orioles were looking to find a taker for Mayo before Opening Day.

The injuries to Holliday and Westburg have shifted that equation. Mayo is now on track to make the Orioles' Opening Day roster, and his early success this spring could validate the feeling many Orioles fans have had with the belief that the former fourth-round pick just needs an extended runway in the starting lineup.

At the very least, Mayo's start to spring training likely will quiet the speculation that the Orioles could look for an upgrade at third base before Opening Day. Isaac Paredes of the Houston Astros was speculated to be an option, but as long as Mayo is having success, it feels like Baltimore will avoid paying a steep price on the trade market.

Similarly, Mayo's name probably will be taken off the trade market by the Orioles. As long as Westburg's status remains uncertain, Mayo is an important piece to the Orioles' roster.

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