Inside The Orioles

Former World Series Champ Rips Baltimore Orioles Prospect Over Demotion Reaction

A former MLB veteran doesn't like how Baltimore Orioles prospect Coby Mayo handled his demotion.

Tyler Maher

Mar 13, 2025; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Coby Mayo (16) doubles against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning during spring training at TD Ballpark.
Mar 13, 2025; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Coby Mayo (16) doubles against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning during spring training at TD Ballpark. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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Since getting demoted to Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday, Baltimore Orioles prospect Coby Mayo has taken a lot of heat for his emotional reaction to the news.

"It definitely is difficult. It obviously sucks because you feel like you've proven everything you've needed to," Mayo said. "It's kind of a lose-lose going to Norfolk."

The 23-year-old infielder has since walked back his initial comments after being criticized by fans, media and former players for appearing selfish, entitled and egotistical.

Former World Series champ and 15-year MLB veteran Cameron Maybin didn't hold back when discussing Mayo's response on Wednesday's episode of Foul Territory.

"This isn't daddy ball...You're in a situation where you needed to come in and impress, and you didn't," Maybin said. "You gotta look in the mirror and you gotta check yourself...Now you gotta go put your big boy pants on."

The former outfielder also didn't appreciate Mayo not taking responsibility for his poor performance, which was the main reason he was sent down. Prior to being demoted, he batted just .190/.239/.262 with 13 strikeouts and only eight hits in 17 spring training games.

"Complaining about it when you really didn't take advantage of the opportunity? It doesn't sit well with me," Maybin said. "It wasn't a tough decision because you didn't go and be the guy that you were in Triple-A."

Mayo dominated Triple-A last year, batting .287/.364/.562 with 22 home runs and 67 RBI in 89 games. However, that success didn't translate to the big leagues, where he batted just .098/.196/.098 with 22 strikeouts in 17 games.

He still has a lot to learn, both on and off the field. If he wants a Major League job, he needs to go out and earn it like everyone else. The Orioles are loaded with talented young players and will likely have to trade some of them, so Mayo needs to prove he's better than the competition if he wants to stick around.

So far, he hasn't shown that yet. If he does, then he'll deserve another shot.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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