The 2019 MLB Draft was a special draft for the Baltimore Orioles. It was the draft that brought catcher Adley Rutschman and shortstop Gunnar Henderson to Baltimore and turned the Orioles around. Also drafted in 2019, was outfielder Kyle Stowers, taken by the Orioles in the second round.
While the trio were drafted and worked their way through the Orioles farm system together, their paths to the majors have been very different. Rutschman and Henderson took to the big leagues relatively quickly, but Stowers did not. With Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins, and Anthony Santander locked into their roles in the Orioles outfield, Stowers returned to Triple-A Norfolk.
That is, until now. Baltimore called Stowers back up to the big leagues on May 13th and the 26-year-old has been thriving in his third stint in the majors. Stowers is batting .389/.368/.556 with a .924 OPS through his first 10 games back in the Orioles lineup. On Monday, Stowers delivered the best performance of his 57-game MLB career, going 3-for-4 and recording a career-high four RBI.
Kyle Stowers “Ready” for the Big Leagues
Stowers has struggled to get consistent playing time on Baltimore’s 26-man active roster thanks to the Orioles crowded outfield. Colton Cowser won the one available spot on the active roster out of Spring Training, sending Stowers back to Norfolk. But with Hays and Mullins struggling, and Heston Kjerstad back in Triple-A for more consistent playing time, Stowers is finally getting his opportunity.
Stowers is Adjusting Well to the Majors
Stowers said he felt “more comfortable” walking into the Orioles clubhouse this time around than he has in the past. He believes that his time is now, and he certainly looks like a different hitter. Stowers set a career high for extra-base hits with two doubles in Monday’s series opener and tied his career best with the three hits. The young outfielder is 6-for-13 (.462) with five RBI in his last seven games with three of his five starts.
“I feel ready. I feel ready to help this team. I feel confident in my ability. At this point you have to go play and play hard. I control my controllables. Play hard, have a good plan and whatever happens is what happens. But I know that I believe in myself, and I feel that I’m ready. Just happy to be here to help this team,” he told Steve Melewski of MASN.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said he’s “trying to play everybody” while also “trying to win.” Baltimore has a lot of talent both on their roster and in their farm system which makes it hard for players like Stowers to break through. But after bouncing between Triple-A and the majors over parts of the last three years, Kyle Stowers is “ready” to make Baltimore his home.
Main Photo: © Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
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