The back fields of Ed Smith Stadium won’t be short on camp battles.
While the starting rotation, barring another addition or a plan to expand to six, seems to be set, plenty of arms will duke it out for bullpen roles. Did pieces like Kade Strowd, Grant Wolfram and Yaramil Hiraldo do enough last season to earn spots on the Opening Day roster? Could prospects like Anthony Nunez or Cameron Foster rise through the ranks sooner than expected?
The relief battle will be intriguing, but it may pale in comparison to the drama surrounding the O’s position players.
Baltimore, with a healthy starting lineup, can’t begin the year with Ryan Mountcastle, Coby Mayo, Jeremiah Jackson and Leody Taveras up in the big leagues. Mountcastle seems to be the natural backup at first base, given his defensive prowess, and Taveras is likely to be the fifth outfielder with his ability to play center field.
The choice, then, could come down to rostering Mayo or Jackson, who both impressed down the stretch last season. Though the two may be fighting for one spot, they provide value to Baltimore in much different ways.
Mayo, a former top prospect in the system, has always been held in high regard for his bat. In five minor league seasons, the powerful right-hander sports an OPS over .900, mashing 90 home runs with a .277 batting average.
A busy trade deadline provided Mayo the opportunity to learn at the big league level, and he showed off what he could do in September. In 24 games, the Florida native hit .301 with an on-base percentage close to .400 and an OPS of .941, all while learning a relatively new position at first base.
Now, with first occupied by the newly-signed Pete Alonso, Mayo could return to third base, the position that he played for the majority of his professional career, or get some reps in the corner outfield.
That’s where we saw Jackson for a majority of last season, despite having appeared in just 44 games in the outfield in his minor league career. The former second-round pick spent the majority of his career at shortstop, but also saw time at second and third base.
The Orioles, though, with a need in the corner outfield, wanted to see what Jackson could do in right. After his debut at Wrigley Field, all the former Angels prospect did was hit, to the tune of a .276 batting average and .775 OPS.
Though Jackson has never reached the heights of Mayo’s 29-homer minor league season, the utility man was still well above-average in both hard-hit rate and average exit velocity last year. His 90th percentile arm strength doesn’t hurt his case in the corner outfield or the hot corner, either.
Comparing the two, Mayo would most likely get the edge in terms of offensive upside. Though Jackson has produced better numbers in the majors thus far, Mayo’s month of September signaled that his gaudy prospect projections could feasibly translate to the bigs. Jackson, and his ability to play second base, third base, shortstop and the corner outfield, clearly provides more defensive upside.
The question, then, becomes: Will the Orioles value Mayo’s offensive upside or Jackson’s defensive versatility? To that end, does Baltimore need a true utility man?
Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg and Gunnar Henderson, assuming health, are all 130-plus game starters. As are Colton Cowser and Taylor Ward, with Dylan Beavers and Tyler O’Neill right behind them. If any of that group needs a day off, save Cowser in center, Jackson could play the part. On the surface, Mayo’s ability to play just first and third doesn’t fit that bill.
Consider, though, that Mayo’s third base versatility may actually be enough. If Henderson needs a day off, for example, Holliday could take his place at short, with Westburg moving to second and Mayo stepping in at third. You can make the same chess moves if Holliday or Westburg need that day, too, and Taveras and Beavers could cover the outfield’s rest days.
Ultimately, the decision could come down to who has the better camp. Each has done more than enough, both in the minors and at the big league level, to be deserving of spots on the Opening Day roster.
It’s possible, though, that only one will earn the honor.