This Young Baltimore Orioles Star Could Jump To Stardom

The Baltimore Orioles have a wealth of young talent but this particular rookie could have a shot at taking a big jump this season.

Mar 12, 2024; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Colton Cowser (17) catches a / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have a ridiculous amount of talent, so handicapping which one could follow in the footsteps of other young players into the upper reaches of baseball stardom in 2024.

Each of the past two seasons, an Orioles rookie has made a big impression as a rookie. In 2022 it was catcher Adley Rutschman. Last season it was infielder Gunnar Henderson, who was named the American League Rookie of the Year.

So, who could it be this season? ESPN took a stab at trying to figure it out and settled on outfielder Colton Cowser.

The Orioles have other young players that fit the bill, including Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo. But both are in the minor leagues while Cowser made the club on the strength of an incredible spring training.

Cowser batted .304 in the spring, with six home runs and 13 RBI. Scouts were buzzing about Cowser’s progress after he got a cup of coffee with the Orioles at the end of 2023 but only batted .115 in 61 at-bats.

From the start of the spring he showed the power that made him one of the Orioles’ top prospects. In fact, he hit a walk-off home run in the Orioles’ spring training opener. The first-round pick of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Sam Houston is a career .298 hitter with 38 home runs and 168 RBI in the minors.

Finding a place to play him is the problem, as the Orioles have a stocked roster. ESPN’s reasoning for selecting Cowser is that finding him a route to playing time at the corner infield and outfield positions is a bit easier to project than the middle infield or center field, making him a more attractive breakout candidate.

He didn’t record an at-bat in the Orioles’ Opening Day win over the Los Angeles Angels.