Star Baltimore Orioles Prospect Graduates From Top 100 Rankings

The Baltimore Orioles still have a fully stocked minor league system, but this Top 100 prospect is graduating after a hot start to the season.

May 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser. / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

One Baltimore Orioles prospect has played enough time in the Major Leagues to graduate from Baseball America’s updated Top 100 rankings.

And, no, it’s not infielder Jackson Holliday.

The Orioles’ graduate is outfielder Colton Cowser, who made the roster for Opening Day and has perhaps the best start of any rookie in the Majors this season.

Cowser, a first-round pick out of Sam Houston in 2021, slashed .277/.351/.578/.929 with six home runs and 18 RBI in 30 games.

Last year he joined Baltimore for the final month and slashed .115/.286/.148/.434 with four RBI.

The improvement has been massive and led to Cowser gaining the service time to graduate after he was ranked No. 32 in April.

Holliday, who was sent down to Triple-A Norfolk last week after an awful start to his Major League career, remains the No. 1 overall prospect, a spot that he has occupied for more than a year.

The No. 2 overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft has excelled with the Tides, as he slashed .300/.434/.517/.951 with two home runs and 11 RBI.

Baseball America wrote that in spite of Holliday’s MLB start — in which he batted below .100 — it doesn’t change his long-term track.

The Orioles have three other Top 100 prospects. Catcher and first baseman Samuel Basallo, who is with Double-A Bowie. He’s hit four home runs in his first 21 games.

Third baseman Coby Mayo is ranked No. 23, up one spot from April. He’s batting .333 with 10 home runs and 26 RBI in his first 29 games with Norfolk.

Outfielder Heston Kjerstad moved up seven spots to No. 36. He joined Baltimore in the past week from Norfolk. He hasn’t made much of an impact with the Orioles so far, but with the Tides he batted .349 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI.