Coby Mayo Is Finally Finding the Confidence the Orioles Have Been Waiting On

Coby Mayo has spent enough time at the big-league level with the Baltimore Orioles to understand that confidence can be a tricky thing.

It can disappear when the results aren't there, especially for a young player who arrived with the expectations that followed Mayo into Baltimore. It can also become a weapon once a hitter starts to understand what he does well and trusts himself enough to stick with it.

That seems to be where Mayo is now.

The 24-year-old entered Friday with 22 home runs, tied with Gunnar Henderson for second on the Orioles behind Pete Alonso. More importantly, his production has changed considerably since the All-Star break. After hitting .193 with a .659 OPS in 74 games during the first half, Mayo is hitting .274 with a .911 OPS over 44 second-half games.

Mayo doesn't describe the turnaround as some dramatic reinvention.

Instead, he keeps coming back to confidence.

“Now, versus lefties, I’m just going up there feeling like you can’t get me out,” Mayo said, via Karuga Koinange of Press Box Online. “It’s obviously a great mentality to have versus anybody. When you have success, there’s confidence, and confidence goes a long way.”

The numbers against left-handed pitching make that confidence understandable.

Mayo is slashing .319/.383/.741 in 149 plate appearances against lefties, with 16 home runs. That is the most homers any hitter in the majors has against southpaws this season. His comfort in those matchups has become one of the clearest parts of his offensive identity.

The challenge has been carrying that same confidence into everything else.

Mayo has struggled much more against right-handers, but even there, the recent results have started to change. He homered against right-handed pitchers on both Monday and Wednesday during Baltimore's series win over Cleveland, giving him another indication that his second-half improvement isn't limited to the matchups where he has always been comfortable.

His approach has become less about forcing that progress and more about trusting it.

“Sometimes when you think about it too much, you can start thinking that you have to hit them,” Mayo said, via Koinange. “So, [I’m] trying to put a plan together and trust that when I get up to the plate.”

That lesson has probably taken some time to learn.

Mayo admitted the early struggles were difficult, especially with the expectations surrounding him after he emerged as one of the game's top prospects, according to MLB.com's Jake Rill. His first two seasons produced only 11 home runs across 102 games, and the adjustment to the major leagues didn't happen as quickly as many expected.

“The game is very unforgiving,” Mayo said, via Rill. “Sometimes, it takes longer. And I’m still figuring it out.”

Dylan Beavers has watched much of that process from the locker next to Mayo's.

He pointed to Mayo being challenged over the previous two seasons, but he always believed the ability was there. Seeing Mayo begin to put everything together, he said, hasn't been much of a surprise.

Craig Albernaz has reached a similar conclusion. He already knew about Mayo's power before taking the job in Baltimore, having been Cleveland's bench coach when Mayo made his MLB debut in 2024. What has impressed him more this season is the development beyond the home runs, including Mayo's ability to use the entire field and fill whatever defensive role Baltimore needs at first or third base.

“You can kind of see the evolution of Coby now,” Albernaz said, via Rill. “Of all the players in that clubhouse, I think Coby’s the one I’m most proud of.”

For Mayo, reaching 20 home runs for the first time is certainly meaningful. But the bigger accomplishment may be that he no longer seems to be chasing the hitter everyone expected him to become.

He is beginning to understand the hitter he actually is.