Orioles Top Prospect Expected To Be Breakout Performer in Second Half

It has been a disappointing season so far for the Baltimore Orioles, and with no room for error, the team didn’t start up the second half of the year the way they needed to.

As the team gets closer to the trade deadline, becoming a seller seems inevitable for the Orioles at this point.

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Despite their struggles, Baltimore does have a number of options that they can trade at the deadline to recoup some talent. With a young core still in place, the hope will be that they turn things around quickly and can compete once again in 2026.

There is certainly reason to believe that they can accomplish that, plus, trading away some veterans who might not have been part of the future can clear the path for some prospects to get a chance.

Even though a lot of young talent has been called up in recent years, there is still some high-quality talent waiting for a chance to be an everyday player. With the team likely to sell, that chance could be coming.

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Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about Orioles prospect Coby Mayo being the player most likely for the team to break out in the second half of the season.

“Assuming O'Hearn is moved as expected ahead of the deadline, he should get his first shot at everyday playing time in August, and he has logged a .906 OPS in 1,870 plate appearances in the minors.”

With Mayo’s rise toward being not only one of the top prospects in Baltimore’s organization but in the entire league, where he was going to play was a question worth asking. However, with the Orioles likely heading toward being sellers at the trade deadline, that should open up plenty of opportunities for young players like Mayo.

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Ryan O’Hearn appears to be one of the most likely players on the team to be traded and that would clear the path for the young slugger to take over as the everyday first baseman.

The numbers for Mayo in Triple-A haven’t been as good as in previous years, with the slugger slashing .226/.318/.452 in 45 games. Perhaps going back and forth a couple of times between the minors and Majors has affected him, but he has certainly proven all he needs to in the minors.

Now, despite a couple of opportunities, Mayo hasn’t performed well in the Majors. However, the second half of the campaign will be a great opportunity for him to solidify himself as a starter for Baltimore in 2026.

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