O's Mayo reaches base in nine straight plate appearances

It¡¯s difficult to have a better weekend at the plate than Coby Mayo did.

The Orioles' No. 2 prospect was the opposite of an automatic out in Triple-A Norfolk¡¯s final two games of its series against Gwinnett. Mayo didn't get out at all. As such, the slugging third baseman will enter the Tides¡¯ next game on Tuesday in Omaha riding a nine-plate-appearance on-base streak.

Basically, MLB's No. 13 prospect hasn¡¯t made an out since Thursday.

Here¡¯s how you have a perfect weekend.

On a 1-for-4 night, Mayo doubled in his final at bat of the Tides¡¯ 6-1 loss to the Braves affiliate on Thursday, then Norfolk was rained out on Friday. The game was made up as part of a Saturday doubleheader at Harbor Park. In the first game, Mayo homered and walked twice, reaching base in all three of his plate appearances in the 6-1 loss. He did not play in the nightcap.

Mayo then went 2-for-2 with three walks in Norfolk¡¯s 12-8 loss on Sunday, reaching base in all five of his plate appearances. He also homered again, cranking a solo shot in the ninth inning, technically his second in as many games.

For context, the only player in the Major Leagues to reach safely in nine straight this season to date was Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, who did so from March 28-20.

Given the big power and good amount of swing-and-miss in Mayo's game, there's long been a sense that he might be prone to streakiness at the plate, especially at the highest level. The 23-year-old's difficult cup of coffee in Baltimore last year lent credence to that theory. But this current streak hints at what Mayo might look like when he's locked in -- and the upside is immense.

• Subscribe to the MLB Pipeline Newsletter

A run like this might also increase speculation that he's not long for Norfolk, especially given the offensive issues plaguing the Orioles' slow start (5-8 record). A few more games like this, and it may be fair to wonder how much Mayo has left to prove at Triple-A after he hit 15 homers with a .905 OPS in 62 games at the level last season. He already has three homers, 11 RBIs and 11 walks across 14 games there this season.