It was a very impressive season for a lot of the young guys on the Baltimore Orioles. Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg are the headliners, but arguably no one was more impressive than Colton Cowser. MLBPA named Colton Cowser the AL Most Outstanding Rookie earlier Saturday afternoon.
It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Cowser in the big leagues. Cowser made his MLB debut on July 5, 2023, and struggled for the entirety of his tenure. Cowser hit just .115 with no home runs and four RBIs in 26 games. The Orioles sent him back down to AAA Norfolk shortly before the 2023 playoffs. Cowser used this time in the minors to work on his swing and get some confidence back. He hit .300 over the course of the season and helped the Norfolk Tides win the 2023 AAA Championship.
With his confidence back on track, Cowser was ready to contribute in 2024. Baltimore put him on the major league roster prior to Opening Day, and he took off with consistent playing time. Cowser split time with Austin Hays until the trade deadline but had a memorable series in April against the Red Sox. Cowser hit .450 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in a three-game sweep.
Cowser continued his early success throughout the regular season. He hit .242 with 24 home runs (most by AL rookie) and 69 RBIs. He also displayed great defense in a tough left field at Camden Yards and found his name on the AL Gold Glove nominee list. Cowser is the current favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year, but that voting will come after the World Series concludes. It’s safe to say that the Baltimore Orioles are in good hands in left field for years to come.
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