Kyle Goon: Coby Mayo has more whiplash than any other Oriole. Here’s why he’s thriving this spring.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Whatever you might think of Coby Mayo, you have to give him this: Whenever the Orioles have tossed him in a new direction, he has worked his ass off trying to please them.

It started soon after he was drafted in 2020, when he worked at third base, a transition from his youth years at shortstop. Last year, when the Orioles decided he should be a full-time first baseman, Mayo could be seen hours before every game working on shagging foam balls from a machine to refine his technique of digging out throws.

At the end of last season during wrap-up meetings, it was clear from the front office on down that Mayo’s position with the franchise was set. He was a first baseman, period.

“That’s what I thought, and that’s what they kind of pushed — and then, obviously, once you sign Pete Alonso, it’s like, ‘Oh, everything goes out the window,’” Mayo said. “Like, I can still work as much as I can at first, but that’s The Guy. You have a great superstar like Pete come in, and obviously he’s gonna be The Guy.”

Now, after a few months twisting in the wind — wondering if his big league future was in Baltimore or somewhere else — there is a very good chance that Mayo breaks camp with the Orioles for the first time in his career.

On opening day, he could be the starting third baseman with Jordan Westburg out for an unspecified period. What a world.

If you’re feeling whiplash just reading about Mayo’s zig-zagging across the diamond, it’s easy to imagine a world in which Mayo is jaded and bitter after spending the entire offseason preparing for a run at first base. But that’s not the attitude Mayo carries himself with this spring, arguably the most consequential of his career.

“Yeah, I think you just have to remember that there’s a plan out there for you, no matter if it was with the Orioles or with another team,” he said. “I’m gonna always do what I can to help myself out and get better. There’s nothing to gain out of sulking and being upset about moves a team has made.

“Going into the spring, who knew that we were gonna have two guys go down in a weeklong span? Like, we had no idea.”

In spite of everything Mayo has been through, every direction he has been pulled, he’s soldiering on at third, a position he was asked to abandon less than a year ago. Whether it’s his attitude, his training or merely his physical maturity at age 24, Mayo also happens to be absolutely ripping baseballs at the plate this spring.

On Wednesday, Mayo launched an inside sinker from Lance McCullers 434 feet over the left-field home bullpen, his first homer of spring training. With a 4-for-4 afternoon, he improved to 13 for 26 this spring with a 1.195 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.

Mayo also has only struck out once in 26 at-bats this spring. Manager Craig Albernaz cited Mayo’s last at-bat, when he recovered from two whiffs setting up an 0-2 count, as his favorite. Mayo adjusted and battled until he was able to send a fastball into shallow center for a hit, scoring another run.

“To me, that was a great at-bat,” Albernaz said. “Very telling where Coby’s mindset is at the plate.”

It felt good to perform in West Palm Beach, just a 50-minute drive north of his hometown. While few big leaguers made the trek across Florida for the Orioles’ East Coast swing this week, Mayo was glad to sleep in his own bed at home for two nights.

“It kind of feels like you’re playing a travel ball game,” he said. “I’m not worried about who’s on the other side. It’s more just having fun in an area where I’ve been used to for so long. I think that’s the mindset a lot of leaders have, is just trying to not think about the moment too much — just kind of playing a little kids’ game.”

There’s something to that freedom of thought that the new coaching staff under Albernaz has been trying to access. At 6-foot-5, Mayo’s lanky frame can hamper his agility getting to balls hit in his direction.

When his posture is too upright, Albernaz has noticed, Mayo has a tendency to overthink his throws across the diamond and throw in the wrong arm slot — a recurring issue on defense throughout his career. He’s made three errors this spring at third, two of them in the same game against the Cardinals last week.

But last week, Albernaz had Mayo play an inning at shortstop, where he had played as a kid. He noticed that playing short, Mayo stayed lower to the ground, crouched in a more athletic posture. His throwing motion looked more natural.

“With Coby playing short, it’s just, ‘Go out there and explore your athleticism, go be a 12-year-old kid,’” Albernaz said. “So, ideally, that’s what happens.”

That’s the player Albernaz wants to see at third for the rest of the spring, and perhaps beyond.

While Albernaz called Mayo “a fine third baseman” who he is “more than comfortable” starting at the position, he’d like to see Mayo play more freely in the coming weeks, especially if that’s who the Orioles will roll out to start the season.

Mayo has gone through enough changes in his short career to keep his head on a swivel, but that hasn’t hardened him in the Baltimore clubhouse. Even though Alonso’s arrival to the franchise was jarring to his position, Mayo said he’s gotten a lot from listening to Alonso throughout the spring.

“Doesn’t matter if you’re a minor league guy or you’re one of the best leaders in the clubhouse — Pete is giving the time of day to everybody. … I think you guys have seen that, too, like talking to guys in game, giving some tips if he can. Even if he strikes out, he’s gonna help the next guy. That’s what good leaders do.”

While Mayo’s long-term future with the franchise is muddy to say the least, he might be one of those leaders, too. His bat will keep him in the lineup, and helps make up for the unsteady moments he’s had at third base.

With a new coaching staff and a return to an old position, Mayo knows that nothing in the future is for certain. But he’s trying his best to clean the slate and use the opportunity that he’s gotten to prove he belongs with the O’s.

“Every day is a new day, right?” he said. “So you can go into it every day and take the opportunity and kind of stay positive about everything. So that’s what I’m trying. I can get better every single day, and I’m gonna just continue to work hard, and just do what I can to help the team out.”