The Orioles’ strong start to the season came with a pair of prospects pounding on the door to make their respective debuts. In a little more than a week’s time, both will have arrived in the majors.
Nine days after calling up infielder Jordan Westburg, the Orioles promoted outfielder Colton Cowser, their No. 2 prospect according to Baseball America, to the majors ahead of Wednesday night’s game at the New York Yankees. Drafted fifth overall in 2021, the 23-year-old Cowser was hitting .330/.459/.537 in 56 games with Triple-A Norfolk.
The Orioles opened space for Cowser on their active and 40-man rosters with a flurry of roster moves, also optioning outfielder Ryan McKenna to Norfolk, designating catcher Anthony Bemboom and right-hander Chris Vallimont for assignment, and selecting the contract of right-hander Eduard Bazardo. Cowser, who will wear No. 17, will bat seventh and play left field in his major league debut Wednesday.
They might have brought Cowser up sooner if not for Cedric Mullins’ right groin strain in late May coming as Cowser himself was nursing a right quadriceps injury. Instead, Baltimore signed veteran Aaron Hicks, using a combination of him, Austin Hays and McKenna in center field in Mullins’ absence. The 2021 All-Star’s return after 20 games seemingly locked down playing time in the Orioles’ outfield, only for Hays to collide with Minnesota Twins first baseman Donovan Solano hours before being announced as a first-time All-Star and miss the next two games with a bruised left hip. Once Hays is healthy, the Orioles could continue to find playing time for Cowser in all three outfield spots, though whether he remains with Baltimore likely depends on his performance.
If it’s even a fraction of what he showed in Norfolk, it would be hard to imagine Cowser not remaining in the big leagues. Entering the season as baseball’s No. 41 prospect in Baseball America’s rankings, he’s shot up to 13th thanks to his performance and the graduations of players in front of him, surpassing right-hander Grayson Rodriguez to trail only 2022 first-overall pick Jackson Holliday among Baltimore’s minor leaguers. Typically serving as the Tides’ leadoff or third hitter, Cowser hit 10 home runs while posting a solid 60-to-48 strikeout-to-walk ratio after striking out nearly twice as often as he walked across three levels in 2022, his first full professional season.
When Baltimore drafted Cowser, a left-handed hitter, fifth overall out of Sam Houston State, he went slightly earlier than expected. But he’s backed up that selection by hitting .305 with a .920 OPS in his minor league career. This season, he notably improved his plate discipline and his performance against left-handed pitching.
Cowser had ups and downs in 2022, his first full season of professional baseball. He struggled in High-A Aberdeen before dominating with Double-A Bowie, which earned him a season-ending stint with Norfolk. With the Tides, he struck out plenty early before settling in late, carrying that success into a productive offseason and strong start to 2023.
It’s now brought him to Baltimore, where he’ll join a lineup featuring other products of the Orioles’ recent drafts, including catcher Adley Rutschman and infielders Gunnar Henderson and Westburg, the organization’s No. 4 prospect.
Cowser’s arrival comes with the Orioles (49-35) scuffling with five games left in the first half. They have lost six of their past seven games and are 16-18 since a 33-17 start.
McKenna has served as a late-inning defensive replacement in the Orioles’ outfield throughout the season. Bemboom, who is out of minor league options, has twice served as Baltimore’s backup to Rutschman this season while James McCann was on the injured list. Vallimont pitched two-thirds of an inning Monday in his MLB debut. Bazardo has a 3.51 ERA in 24 outings with Norfolk and pitched well in 14 games for the Boston Red Sox the past two seasons.
