Long talks about Mancini and Mountcastle working through slumps

The offensive spurts that hinted at breakthroughs for Trey Mancini were mere teasers until a few weeks ago. Until a four-strikeout game in Texas and more conversations with Orioles hitting coach Don Long.

It wasn't one day or just a few words that lifted Mancini. They watched video again on Wednesday, studying his at-bats from 2019. And they kept talking.

Mancini has hits in nine of his last 11 games and he's reached base safely in seven straight. He's collected 10 hits in 26 at-bats (.385) with two doubles, a home run, five RBIs, three walks and three runs scored.

Yesterday's three-hit game was the first for Mancini since Sept. 5, 2019. His average has risen from .151 to .247 and his OPS from .579 to .773 since April 16.

"With a lot of guys it's just an ongoing process of working to slow everything down," Long said earlier today in a Zoom call.

"Confidence is a fragile thing. I'm not saying with Trey necessarily, but just in general at this level, and so we're constantly working on that aspect of the game. Not only from the mental side, from the physical side actually working to slow the game down. What does that mean, how do you accomplish it from a mindset perspective and then also from a physical perspective.

"Really those two things work hand in hand. I can slow my mind down in the game. It's one thing to do it in practice, but to be able to do it in the game, then my body usually follows, and when that happens, then I'm able to do what I'm already able to do. But until that happens, with Trey or any of these guys, you're going to see inconsistency.

"I think it's just a matter of an ongoing conversation, keeping where he's been and what he's been through in perspective, and not try to get it all back at once. And not necessarily even trying to recapture what he was a couple years ago, but he able to become the best version of what he is right now, and you have to kind of live in the moment to be able to do that."

Long is dealing with different personalities, track records and adversities inside the clubhouse.

Ryan Mountcastle isn't used to staying in slumps for an extended period, and never in the majors. He has a hit in four straight games, but is 5-for-42 going back to April 15.

"I've had guys over the years who, the first time they struggled as at the major league level for a prolonged period of time, and that is the toughest place to go through that for the first time. No doubt about it, because you're asking yourself to make adjustments against the best pitching there is," Long said.

"From my standpoint, having been in development for many, many years, you almost hope you challenge a prospect type guy and he does have a period of struggle coming up so they learn how to deal with it and they learn that they're going to be OK. And I'm really encouraged by his at-bats here the last few days. Again, we've been trying to make some fundamental changes, not in his swing, but in his pre-pitch in terms of his rhythm and timing and really being ready to hit and trying to simplify what he does, so he gets to a consistent, strong position to hit, so he can make better decisions about what he swings at. And when he does swing, put the ball in play hard and have the at-bat be over.

"He did something in an at-bat a couple days ago, he had a hit on a two-strike breaking ball down and away. It was a good pitcher's pitch and he hit kind of a medium line drive to center field. But in that at-bat, the first pitch, he did his normal leg kick thing that he does and he was late, and he immediately recognized that and before the second pitch was thrown, he went to a simpler version of his normal routine to get ready to hit. And he did that on his own in the box during the course of the game, rather than just letting the whole at-bat get away from him. In the moment he was able to go, 'OK, I need to do this right now to be able to have success in this at-bat.'

"When I see something like that, I start to see a maturity in what he's doing, which, being able to adjust within the at-bat is a really good sign for him."

Mountcastle also impressed yesterday against Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman while striking out in the ninth inning. Something that might escape the casual observer.

"He was on the ball much better than he would have been earlier in the year against a guy with much lesser stuff, so he's coming around," Long said. "We've talked and it's a matter of working on the right things every day and not just doing the same thing every day and hoping for something better, but actually working toward something better and working on rhythm and timing and being on time and simplifying the process to get ready to hit. And by doing those two things, you're going to be in a better position on time, you'll make better decisions, you're going to square more balls up.

"You're not going to dig yourself out of it in one game, but if you focus on doing that every day, doing the right kind of work and being committed to it every day, over the course of a long season the results will show. And I completely believe that he's on that path right now and that's the direction he's headed."

The game isn't easy. Mountcastle was bound to stumble. Slashing .333/.386/.492 in 140 plate appearances last summer wasn't a mirage, but the line didn't make him bulletproof.

His 30 strikeouts this month in 92 plate appearances match last year's total.

"I looked at his chase rate a couple days ago this year compared to last year (and) it's almost the same, so it's not like he's chasing more than he did last year," Long said. "It's just, when he swung in the zone last year and in particular on fastballs, his production was much better. So there's not a big difference there.

"There are guys that can always hit and they've hit from the time they were kids all the way through the big leagues, but there's many times where guys do need to make some adjustments, and so I think that's kind of where Ryan is right now."

Notes: The Orioles filled their taxi squad with catcher Austin Wynns, outfielder Ryan McKenna and pitchers Zac Lowther, Isaac Mattson and Thomas Eshelman.

This is my final post of the night unless breaking news warrants a story. I shall return early Saturday morning.