"I guess I'm the mentor" - Ryan Mountcastle reflects on being the veteran among Orioles’ young infield
Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who is 27, talked about how he is already a veteran of sorts in a very young O's team. Mountcastle shared the infield with youngsters Jackson Holliday (20), Gunnar Henderson (23) and Coby Mayo (22) in yesterday's win over the Cleveland Guardians.
The Orioles came into the showdown at Progressive Field needing a win to have any chance of splitting the series after losing two on the bounce to the Guardians. After a hard-fought game, the O's came from behind to win 7-4. Speaking to MASN Sports post-game, Mountcastle said:
"It’s pretty crazy. For how young they are, how talented these kids are, it’s pretty remarkable. I guess being 27, the old guy in the infield, is pretty crazy.
"I guess I’m the mentor. I was coming up to bat on Friday and I was like, ‘All right, you guys better drive papa in today.' That’s just the nature of the 162-game season. You’re gonna have guys filtering in and out all the time, and just trying to do your job and whenever you come up here and be ready and try to win games."
Young players who shared the infield with Ryan Mountcastle
The three young players who shared the infield with Ryan Mountcastle in the Orioles' win on Saturday are all having solid seasons.
The biggest name in the pack is 23-year-old shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who has been a strong performer for the Orioles. The Alabama native is batting .288, with 28 home runs and 67 RBIs.
Second baseman Jackson Holliday is the youngest at 20. After being recalled from Triple-A affiliate Norfolk, he hit his first major league home run (a grand slam) in the O's 10-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Camden Yards on July 31.
Lastly, 22-year-old Coby Mayo has batted over .300 in 77 games for Triple-A Norfolk, hitting 20 home runs. In his MLB debut last night, he scored an important run as the Orioles rallied to score four runs in the eighth inning.
Yesterday's victory brings their record up to 66-46, identical to American League East challengers the New York Yankees, in what is proving to be a thrilling race for the division's top spot.