Orioles’ latest roster move proves they’re all in on top prospects post-deadline

Orioles fans have been clamoring for this news for months but we're finally here - Coby Mayo is in Baltimore and is starting at third base against the Guardians tonight.

After what felt like getting the runaround from the organization at the trade deadline, with guys like Terrin Vavra and Livan Soto being shuffled in and out of the active roster, the Orioles have finally committed to the youth movement.

Unfortunately, it took an injury to Jordan Westburg to get here but the news of Mayo's call-up suggests Mike Elias and the Orioles are ready to take the training wheels off their top prospects and give them the opportunity to help this team down the stretch.

Top prospect Coby Mayo set to join the Orioles in Baltimore

In his first major league start, Mayo will bat 8th, one spot ahead of his partner in crime Jackson Holliday. The pair spent significant time playing alongside one another in Triple-A Norfolk, with both of them posting monster stat lines and forcing the Orioles' hand.

In Mayo, the Orioles are getting a power bat with the ability to play either first or third base. Though he isn't an elite defender, he's crushed the ball this year, hitting .301/.375/.586 with 20 homers and strong plate discipline.

Holliday hasn't been perfect in his return to Baltimore but he did show out on Wednesday, blasting a monster grand slam onto Eutaw Street and missing a second home run by about an inch.

With both Mayo and Holliday in Baltimore, the better part of the Orioles' youth movement has now arrived in the majors. The O's have two stars already in Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, and Westburg was in the middle of a breakout year himself before the injury.

Though it's fair to assume that Elias would prefer to have Westburg and Jorge Mateo in the lineup right now, it's hard to not feel a rush of excitement to have this group of prospects playing together in Baltimore at last.

It's also a bit of a relief for fans, who were tormented over the past month by rumors about the Orioles' willingness to trade from the top of their prospect pool. It was speculated by many that Elias would ship out at least one of Holliday, Mayo, or catcher Samuel Basallo for pitching help.

It's possible that the O's will regret not acquiring another star pitcher to work behind ace Corbin Burnes but if Mayo and Holliday play well over the next two months, those feelings will subside quickly. With so much talent on the major league roster, it's a heck of a time to be an Orioles fan.