Catching Up with Ryan Mountcastle
Through his first full Major League season, Ryan Mountcastle has not disappointed. His 25 home runs are the third-most by a rookie in a single-season in O’s history (since 1954) trailing only Cal Ripken, Jr. (28) and Eddie Murray (27); while his 75 RBI are the sixth-most by an O’s rookie, trailing only Jim Gentile (98), Ripken, Jr. (93), Murray (88), Ron Hansen (86), and Trey Mancini (78).
He recently took a break from baseball to sit down with Geoff Arnold and Brett Hollander to talk about his early struggles, what it’s like chasing Oriole rookie records, why he stays late after games to sign autographs, and what big league player he has been most excited to share the field with.
Coming off a successful debut in 2020, Mountcastle struggled in April to start the 2021 campaign. He finished the month batting .198 (18-for-91) with one home run, 30 strikeouts, and four walks.
“I had all the confidence in the world going into the year,” said Mountcastle. “I worked hard in the offseason and in Spring Training. That first month is obviously not what you want to happen. You’re looking over your shoulder like, I don’t want to get sent down here anytime soon. It sucks, and I had to battle through it, but I’m proud of where I am now.”
Now, Mountcastle is looking to have one of the most successful rookie seasons in Oriole history.
“Obviously it’s amazing to be mentioned with guys like [Cal Ripken, Jr. and Eddie Murray],” said Mountcastle. “Whatever the [home run] record is, I’ve been hearing a couple things about it, I don’t know how many they hit their rookie year, but it’s really cool to have my name up with those guys and their rookie seasons.”
Even as his success on the field continues to grow, Mountcastle still makes it a point to take time for fans. He explained to Arnold and Hollander why it’s important to him to stay after games, win or lose, rain or shine, to signs autographs and talk to fans.
“I just like doing it for the kids,” said Mountcastle. “Seeing them, putting a smile on their face. I remember being a kid and getting an autograph and thinking it was the coolest thing in the world and bringing it home and probably losing it eventually, but it was really cool for that day. The guy who gave me the autograph was probably my favorite player for a while. I always thought it was pretty cool, and it keeps the fans coming back out.”
This year, Mountcaslte got a moment better than an autograph. He got to share the field with one of his favorite players growing up, Miguel Cabrera.
“Just seeing him go to first base and standing next to him,” said Mountcastle. “I was trying to act cool and not say too much. He was probably one of my biggest idols growing up, just watching the way he swings, and plays the game. It’s crazy to see where he’s at now hitting his 500th home run. But standing next to him at first was pretty cool. And Trout was out there the other day, he wasn’t playing, but I saw him out there in the outfield getting some work in, and that was pretty cool to see.”
Mountcastle also shares what he is hoping to accomplish this last month.
“I’m not really a numbers-oriented goals guy,” said Mountcastle. “I just want to go out there and play hard and help the team get some wins. I think it helps me play better to think about that and not think about numbers.”
The trio finishes with their “Fun Five” including Mountcastle’s favorite TV show at the moment, what he eats before and after games, and what he would be doing if he weren’t playing baseball.
“I usually don’t eat much before the game,” said Mountcastle. “I’ll have a Red Bull, and maybe something light to keep me going. After the game, we always have steak, or chicken. Nothing crazy. If I’m in a funk, if I’m struggling a little bit, McDonald's has some hits in it, too. So I’ll sneak some McDonald's in every now and then.”
You can listen to the episode above, or wherever you stream podcasts.