September, 2025 showcased exactly what the Orioles had hoped for: Coby Mayo showed flashes of being an everyday player. 

Ryan Mountcastle’s injury and Ryan O’Hearn’s new home in San Diego meant that Mayo had the keys to first base after the trade deadline. After recording just 12 hits in 25 games in August, the Florida native flipped a switch along with the calendar. 

In those 24 September contests, Mayo slapped 22 hits, eight of which went for extra bases. The result was a batting average over .300 and a .941 OPS in the month, showcasing why he had been such a highly-touted prospect across baseball. 

Mayo seemed primed to man first in Baltimore for seasons to come. That is, until Pete Alonso came to town. 

It’s not every offseason that you have the opportunity to acquire a player capable of playing all 162 games, mashing 40 home runs and driving in 125 teammates, but that’s what Alonso brings to Baltimore. Mayo very well could turn into that kind of player in the future, but the Orioles are aware of their current window of opportunity. 

Alonso has appeared in all 162 games each of the last two seasons, starting 159 contests per year at first base. Though the long-time Met was in just the second percentile in outs above average, according to Statcast, he is considered to be one of the best scoopers at the position. The lack of range might dictate some more playing time at designated hitter, but his command of the spot could keep him there. 

Either way, there will not be very many reps at first to go around, unless you have an “Alonso” on the back of your jersey. 

That presents a new question for the Orioles: what do you do with Mountcastle and Mayo? Their value on the open market could certainly be explored, but if they remain in Baltimore, what will their roles look like? 

Mountcastle, more than likely, won’t play anywhere other than first base. The Orioles tried to put him in a corner outfield in his debut season to no avail. Could Mayo, though, be better suited for a switch?

Mike Elias seems to think so. 

“There is still a lot of playing time available for him on a team that has Pete Alonso now,” he said of Mayo. “We have first base reps, we have designated hitter reps, and the exploration of other positions - whether it’s third or something in the corner outfield - has been something we’ve always talked about with him. So the path remains open for him.”

Third base, while occupied by Jordan Westburg, seems to be the most natural option for Mayo. That change would be better classified as a reversion. Third was his defensive home for a majority of his minor league career, when he appeared at the position 319 times across five seasons. 

There haven’t been many opportunities for him there in the majors, with just 32 defensive attempts since his debut in 2024, according to Statcast. In the limited sample size, his range has been graded as below average, but his arm strength has always been held in high regard.

That quality arm would also translate well to the corner outfield, another possibility for Mayo to find playing time. Just how feasible is a switch like that, though? 

Mayo has never actually played the outfield in his professional career, but his athleticism could lend well to a transition. 

According to Statcast, Mayo ranked in the 64th percentile in sprint speed at 27.9 feet per second, ninth-best among first basemen with at least 10 opportunities. That would have ranked in the top 30 among corner outfielders, ahead of names like Ramón Laureano and Dylan Carlson and tied with Ronald Acuña Jr. 

That said, sprint speed isn’t a perfect measurement for whether or not a player can play the outfield. Ironically, Mountcastle and O’Hearn had the same exact sprint speed last season, with one gaining the trust of the O’s to play the outfield and the other not. However, there’s a reason you won’t find Alonso and his 25.3 feet per second speed out there, so there is some credence to using the metric.  

Perhaps the ideal scenario for Baltimore is if Mayo can add the corner outfield to his defensive arsenal this offseason to pair with his experience at the infield corners. That way, new skipper Craig Albernaz could get Mayo’s prolific bat into the lineup as a big-bat utility man, even if there isn’t a single position with a clear path to playing time. 

Time will tell how the O’s plan to utilize Mayo’s skillset. But a transition to a utility role, given his athleticism, certainly seems to be within the realm of possibility.