Baltimore Orioles Emerging Outfielder Among Best Rookies in American League

A Baltimore Orioles outfielder is among the best rookies in the American League during the 2024 season.

Aug 7, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles left ielder Austin Slater (15) and center fielder Colton Cowser (17) and right fielder Anthony Santander (25) celebrate the win against the Toronto Blue Jays at the end of he ninth inning at Rogers Centre. / Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles are loaded with young hitters in their lineup. This is a group that will be terrorizing pitchers for years to come, as they are all developing nicely and look to be legitimate contributors at the Major League level.

Among those youngsters is outfielder Colton Cowser.

He made his MLB debut with the Orioles in 2023, and retained his rookie eligibility for this season. He has remained in Baltimore all year and has produced consistently.

Over at The Athletic, former MLB front office member Jim Bowden ranked his top 10 rookies in the American League. It was the emerging Orioles star who came in at No. 2 because of the extra-base potency at the plate and stellar work in the field.

“Colton Cowser leads the pack of AL position player rookies, mostly because of his power and defense. He’s hit 19 homers and 19 doubles with 62 runs scored and 57 RBIs. Defensively he ranks in the 96th percentile in fielding run value and in the 97th percentile in both outs above average (range) and arm strength. His slash line (.247/.323/.448) doesn’t stand out, but his power and defense have put him in position to possibly win this award,” Bowden wrote.

The only player who is ranked ahead of Cowser right now is New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil. The breakout star has had some rough spots throughout the season, but the dominance has far outweighed the negatives.

Those two are likely the leading candidates to take home the AL Rookie of the Year Award.

Cowser has recorded a 2.3 WAR and OPS of +121, which are both very strong numbers.

While many voters will look at the hitting stats, which Cowser has plenty of, it is his work with the glove that sets him apart from other rookies. Given the changes to Camden Yards’ dimensions, they essentially need three players with center fielder type of range.

The standout provides that, logging a majority of his innings in the cavernous left field. He has also played in center and right field, providing Brandon Hyde with some elite versatility.

Even if he doesn’t win the AL ROY, he is going to be an integral part of the team’s plans moving forward.

If Cedric Mullins is made available this offseason, as he was ahead of the MLB trade deadline, it could be Cowser taking over the everyday role in center field.