Inside The Orioles

Baltimore Orioles Rookie Represents Outfield in Top 25 Position Rankings

The Baltimore Orioles rookie is the only current member of the outfield to make the updated top 25 MLB outfielder rankings.

Dylan Sanders

Sep 27, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Baltimore Orioles left fielder Colton Cowser (17) runs after hitting a home run off Minnesota Twins pitcher Caleb Thielbar (56) in the seventh inning at Target Field.
Sep 27, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Baltimore Orioles left fielder Colton Cowser (17) runs after hitting a home run off Minnesota Twins pitcher Caleb Thielbar (56) in the seventh inning at Target Field. / Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Orioles rookie is a ray of sunshine in a struggling outfield group that is set to lose their most productive player this offseason.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter released his updated ranking of the top 25 outfielders in the MLB from last season. Two Orioles made the cut, but one of them is no longer on the team.

While it is still good that they have one player, they both need their other veteran to step up and need to find a way to account for lost production.

Anthony Santander was, unsurprisingly, the top Baltimore outfielder and one of the best in the league at seventh overall.

That's the ranking that a surprise 40-home run campaign will get a player. He posted a .235/.308/.506 slashing line with 44 total homers and 102 RBI.

A switch hitter that can hit well and for good power on both sides will carry a very large contract. That is why the Orioles are expected to let him walk.

There is a chance that it was a bit of a one off. While he has been good with Baltimore in the past, he has not been that good before.

The hope in letting him walk is that there will be a bit of a drop in production next season, allowing them to avoid wasting money that could be used to keep/bring in the team's top ace.

As for players that are currently under contract with the Orioles, rookie sensation Colton Cowser came in at No. 19.

Cowser, fresh off a disappointing loss in the race for Rookie of the Year, is the most promising thing in the outfield right now.

He posted a .242/.321/.447 slashing line last season with 24 home runs and 69 RBI.

The 24-year-old has a corner outfield spot locked down for years to come.

Cedric Mullins' horrid start to the 2024 campaign kept him outside of the top 25, but he was at least among those to receive a 'honorable mention' nod.

Many wanted Baltimore to trade him away at the last deadline. While that could still happen in the last year of team control, it might be hard to justify given how good he was in the second half. Especially when they are already losing Santander.

The other name to watch for the list next season would be the likely Santander replacement, Heston Kjerstad.

In 39 games, Kjerstad posted a .253/.351/.394 slashing line. There are some that believe that he will be on the move this offseason, however.

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Dylan Sanders
DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders

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