Baltimore Orioles Outfielder Receives Strong Rookie Grade

What grade should rookie outfielder Colton Cowser of the Baltimore Orioles receive this season?

Sep 3, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser (17) runs out a first inninrbi single against the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles are limping into the playoffs, as they haven’t played very well in quite some time now. 

With October right around the corner, the Orioles should still be a playoff team, but the franchise can’t have too much confidence that they are going to make any noise in the playoffs as of now. 

While it isn’t overly shocking that the pitching staff outside of Corbin Burnes and Zach Eflin has struggled for the most part, it is surprising to see that the lineup has not done well in the second half of the season. 

Baltimore’s lineup is filled with young and talented players, and while they were regarded as one of the best lineups in baseball for most of the season, that hasn’t been the case of late. 

Despite the struggles of the team, one of the players that has done well is outfielder Colton Cowser. The talented rookie is having a nice second half of the season, and one of the few bright spots for the team down the stretch. 

Recently, Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report handed out grades to some big-named rookies. For Cowser, he received a solid grade of a ‘B’. 

“Colton Cowser has put himself in the mix for the AL Rookie of the Year Award by posting an .815 OPS in the second half of the season. In total, Cowser has 20 home runs and 21 doubles—a solid but not spectacular rookie campaign. Cowser has seen time at all three outfield positions but graded out best in left field, where he has three defensive runs saved and eight out above average. He could become an even more important piece in the outfield if the Orioles lose Anthony Santander in free agency this upcoming offseason.”

The solid grade for the rookie outfielder feels very fair, as while his overall season has been good, it has been pretty inconsistent month to month. This year, Cowser has totaled a .240 batting average with 20 home runs and 64 RBIs. 

However, what the Orioles will hope to see next year from him in his development is consistency at the plate. In April, Cowser nearly hit .300, but then he followed up by batting under .200 in May and June before hitting over .300 in July. 

As a young player, it is perfectly understandable for someone to go through those types of struggles, and the young outfielder has shown a lot of potential when things are going right. Since it hasn't been a perfect season, the rookie grade for the young slugger makes sense.