Jorge Mateo, manager Brandon Hyde believes, still has a role to play for the Orioles. The veracity of that largely depends on what the role is.
If it’s to be a right-handed-hitting shortstop who faces left-handed pitching and plays above-average defense, then the Orioles have an upgrade available in prospect Joey Ortiz. But if it’s to be a versatile, occasionally deployed bench piece with elite speed that could be vital as a pinch-runner in the postseason, Baltimore lacks a clear alternative.
Such is the dichotomy of Mateo, who was the Orioles’ best hitter in April and one of baseball’s worst since. His defense at shortstop still rates well but has dropped from the elite level he played at last season. He remains one of the sport’s fastest runners, but he reaches first base too infrequently to fully showcase that skill.
After posting a team-best 1.062 OPS through the first month of the season, Mateo entered Sunday — when he started in center field for the first time in the two years since Baltimore claimed him on waivers — batting .158 with a .411 OPS and no home runs since the start of May. Only one of 235 players with as many plate appearances as Mateo has also gone homerless in that span, and none have a lower OPS; the next closest player was at .548.
Despite those offensive struggles, Hyde said before Sunday’s game against the New York Mets that Mateo’s skill set is “extremely valuable,” especially at this time of year. He showcased exactly why in the fifth inning of a scoreless contest, lacing a line drive to center field and — despite a slow start down the line thinking the ball was going to be caught — getting a triple out of it when it got past center fielder Rafael Ortega’s dive attempt. His speed also put pressure on third baseman Mark Vientos fielding Adley Rutschman’s ground ball, leading to a bobble and the game’s first run.
“He’s a major, major factor for the other team because of his speed,” Hyde said pregame. “Every team that’s looking to make postseason pushes is looking for speed. Speed, guy that can play defense anywhere, and Jorgie can do that.
“[When] he gets on base, he scores. So if he’s not starting, you pinch-run for somebody, it’s a big-time threat in a close game. I’m just trying to keep all options open with him.”
The Orioles’ September and postseason roster composition will be different from what they’ll have for the rest of August. Rosters expand by two Sept. 1, and the format of the postseason allows Baltimore to use a four-man rotation and potentially devote a roster spot to Mateo strictly for late-game situations when a pinch-runner is needed.
But it’s not as if Baltimore can set Mateo aside until then. He’s out of minor league options, and his place on the roster, with the Orioles playing almost daily and other players needing games off for various reasons, means Hyde must find places to insert him in the lineup. Those have typically come against left-handed pitchers, with Mateo starting only three of the Orioles’ past 20 games facing a right-handed starter. Saying Mateo has “lost some confidence against right-handed pitching,” Hyde noted he has still performed well against lefties. But Mateo’s .299/.340/.454 slash line off left-handers is largely carried by his April performance; he entered Sunday hitting .258/.292/.323 with the platoon advantage since May 1.
“It’s a little difficult,” Mateo said of his inconsistent playing time through interpreter Brandon Quinones. “It’s something that happens. It’s part of the game, but I’m looking to work through it and get out of it.”
The Orioles seem to be willing to give him that opportunity, even as Ortiz is pounding on the door at Triple-A. The organization’s No. 7 prospect according to Baseball America, Ortiz is hitting .354 with a .976 OPS for Norfolk this season. He’s also regarded as a premier defender on the infield, a trait he’s shown in limited opportunities with Baltimore this season.
But it’s unclear how much playing time he would receive in Baltimore, with American League Rookie of the Year front-runner Gunnar Henderson becoming the Orioles’ daily shortstop and fellow infield prospect Jordan Westburg seemingly locking down a more regular role. Capable of playing three spots on the infield, Ortiz still doesn’t quite offer the versatility of Mateo, whose experience in center made him feel “comfortable” out there this weekend despite not playing the position for Baltimore outside of spring training. Mateo led AL shortstops in Statcast’s outs above average last season and still rates positively in the metric this season, and in Hyde’s estimation, he plays center field “like he’s been doing it his whole life,” partly thanks to his “elite, elite speed.”
“The most important thing is to always be on the field, regardless of where that is,” Mateo said. “I think as long as you’re on the field, that’s what counts.”
Ortiz is also a relatively fast runner, with an above-average sprint speed of 28.1 feet per second, but he’s no Mateo, whose average of 30.1 feet per second ranks seventh among more than 500 qualified major leaguers, according to Baseball Savant. No other Oriole tops 29.0. Despite his reduced playing time, Mateo entered Sunday tied for ninth in the majors with 25 steals; 10 came before May.
Given the frequency with which the Orioles play close games and the probability that trend is magnified in September and October, Mateo likely still has a role to play. It just won’t be the one he’s held for most of this season.
“When they call on me to go out there, I’ll give my best,” Mateo said. “Just happy to go out there whenever they call my name.”
What’s to come?
The Orioles haven’t played out of Eastern Time in the second half and only once have played a team from outside of that time zone. That changes this week.
First, they welcome the reigning World Series champion Houston Astros to Camden Yards. The Astros are chasing the Texas Rangers in the AL West but are in wild-card position, giving Hyde’s team yet another matchup with a playoff-caliber club.
“I feel like we’ve been doing that almost every series,” he said.
They’ll follow it up with another, traveling to face the Seattle Mariners — the best AL team not currently in playoff position — to begin a three-city trip out west with subsequent stops in San Diego and Oakland.
What was good?
The Orioles don’t return to Toronto again this season. It’s worth wondering whether Ryan Mountcastle will be allowed to cross the Canadian border in 2024.
Mountcastle continued to terrorize Blue Jays pitching by going 11-for-13 in this week’s series at the Rogers Centre. The 26-year-old is hitting .344/.404/.651 in 49 career games against Toronto, with his performance putting him on a 162-game pace for about 50 home runs, 40 doubles and 139 RBIs.
He hasn’t only had success against the Blue Jays of late, though. Mountcastle also had a hit in each game of the Orioles’ sweep of the Mets, leaving him with a .419/.465/.629 batting line since returning from a month spent on the injured list with vertigo.
“It’s easier when you’re just seeing one baseball instead of three,” he quipped in Toronto.
Mountcastle was also involved in perhaps the Orioles’ most viral moment of the week, when he, Rutschman, Colton Cowser and Gunnar Henderson arrived to Camden Yards on Friday in matching sunglasses and tracksuits.
What wasn’t?
It’s difficult to take issue with anything in a week the Orioles went 6-1, stretched their lead in the AL East and averaged more than six runs per game while only once allowing more than three. But Baltimore’s typical fill-ins for Mullins and Hicks showed the return of that pair would be welcome.
Cowser and Ryan McKenna combined to go 5-for-28 (.179) on the week with 11 strikeouts against three walks. With Mullins playing in rehabilitation games and Hicks possibly nearing his own assignment, McKenna and Cowser might be playing to hold onto their roster spots.
On the farm
Top prospect Jackson Holliday spent much of last week on Double-A Bowie’s injured list with an illness. He used the weekend to make up for lost time, going 6-for-12 with a pair of home runs.
The 19-year-old shortstop is hitting .396/.448/.642 in 13 Double-A games and .342/.464/.543 across three levels in his first full season after Baltimore drafted him first overall last summer.
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