In Rylan Bannon and Mason McCoy, the Baltimore Orioles have two infield prospects with contrasting skill sets who are boosting the organization’s evolving infield depth chart.
While neither Bannon nor McCoy are on the 40-man roster, they are currently in major-league camp as non-roster invitees. They are also each coming off solid 2019 seasons that saw them improve their respective prospect stocks. Their individual skillsets are unique, however, as they profile as two different types of major-league role players that could reach Baltimore in the reasonably near future.
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Starting with Bannon, a former eighth-round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of Xavier who flew under the radar among the players that came to Baltimore in the trade that sent Manny Machado to LA. Bannon was putting up solid numbers in the hitter-friendly California League at the time of the July 2018 swap, but was less than impressive over a small 98 at-bat sample size at Double-A Bowie immediately after joining the Orioles organization.
Last season, Bannon took off. Upon his return to Bowie, he slashed .255/.345/.394 with eight home runs and a 120 wRC+ in 110 games. In a limited 20-game run at Norfolk, Bannon went 26-for-82 (.317) with three homers, before logging a stint in the Arizona Fall League.
Bannon has been ranked among the Top-20 prospects in the system entering 2020 by a few outlets, including FanGraphs at 17th and MLB.com at 18th, reflective of his likely future as a major-league role player. He projects as a bat-first player with decent power and a good feel for the strike zone, and one that could move around defensively.
For 2020, Bannon looks likely to return to Norfolk, where the hitter-friendly conditions that were seen in the International League last year could help boost his power if they carry over to this season. While he is not on the 40-man roster now, a late-season promotion to Baltimore should not be discounted entirely, especially if the Orioles need help at second base or third base and feel that his bat is ready for at least a part-time role.
At the opposite end of the spectrum in some ways is McCoy. The former sixth-round pick out of the University of Iowa put together a fine season offensively between High-A Frederick and Bowie last year, posting a .266/.326/.343 line in 105 games at the higher level. His calling card, however, is his defense, which rates well on both sides of the second-base bag.
McCoy’s role in the majors could be that of a utility player, one who primarily provides value for his defense. Ideally, he would be able to compliment that with enough ability as a hitter to at least earn a platoon role at the major-league level, especially if the Orioles like the idea of having a glove-first player up the middle to back their young pitching staff during their rebuilding process.
It should be noted that there are a few players around McCoy in the system who have similar skillsets, including former Rule 5 pick Richie Martin—who should see time at Norfolk this year after spending all of 2019 in the majors—and Cadyn Grenier, a competitive balance round A pick in 2018.
McCoy and Grenier have similar profiles, but Grenier is younger—23 on Opening Day, compared to 25—and is viewed in some circles as have a slightly higher ceiling, with there potentially being a little bit more room left for development in his bat. That said, McCoy is closer to the majors at this point, making him more a part of the organization’s immediate plans.
For one, McCoy has logged time above High-A—something Grenier has yet to do—and the Orioles rewarded him with a stint in the Arizona Fall League following last season. In 2020, McCoy will look to build off what he accomplished at the plate last season while continuing his steady glove work. Should he able to accomplish that, it could help him earn a look in the majors late in 2020.
Orioles Analyst
A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, and Loyola University; Spedden has previously spent time in the Washington Nationals organization as a videographer for the Hagerstown Suns. As a blogger, Spedden is an Editor / Writer for the Suns fan club. Additionally, he contributes to The Nats Blog as a prospect writer, and Ballpark Digest. For BSL, Spedden covers the Orioles Minor Leagues. Co-Host of The Verge: https://anchor.fm/the-verge