On August 21, 2020, it finally happened for Ryan Mountcastle. After being drafted in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft, the 23-year-old had spent five seasons hitting his way through the Orioles minor league system before getting the call-up to the Big Show.
It hadn’t been a clear path to the majors for Mountcastle. A natural shortstop, his glove was deemed enough of a liability that the Orioles moved him to third base. And then, after more lackluster fielding, to first.
Unfortunately, first base is exactly where the Orioles have long had something of a traffic jam.