Getty Colton Cowser hitting his fourth RBI during an April 9 game against the Boston Red Sox.
There’s arguably no team in the MLB with more farm system representation featured in the starting lineup than the Baltimore Orioles.
But surprisingly, it’s Colton Cowser above them all who’s grabbing headlines this season. The former No. 5 overall pick is off to an almost hot start in 2024.
So much so, that he made Bleacher Report’s list of “10 Biggest Surprises.”
“Baltimore’s highly-touted prospect who struggled mightily during his brief stint in the majors last summer is outrageously averaging one extra-base hit for every three at-bats thus far in 2024,” B/R’s Kerry Miller wrote in an April 14 column.
Through 14 games, Cowser is slashing .441/474/.971 for 4 home runs and 12 RBIs. All 4 home runs are the first of his career, and the first 3 came in back-to-back games against the Boston Red Sox.
Including a two-home run game in the final matchup of the series.
COLTON COWSER HAVE A SERIES.
His 2nd HR of the night but this one to RF
Miller argued that a wager on Cowser for the AL Rookie of the Year might be worthwhile.
“For what it’s worth,” Miller wrote. “It’s not too late to get decent odds on Cowser for AL Rookie of the Year. Texas’ Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford and Cowser’s teammate Jackson Holliday are still kind of in a three-way tie as the odds-on favorites, but Cowser is still in the +1000 to +2000 range depending on your preferred book, despite getting out to by far the best start of the bunch.”
And that’s before Cowser helped lift the Orioles over the Milwaukee Brewers with his fourth home run of the season.
He almost single-handedly prevented Baltimore from suffering their first sweep—in series of two games or more—in 96 consecutive series.
Outrageous indeed.
Colton Cowser Goes Yard to Seal Win vs. Brewers
Down 5-4 in the eighth inning, Cowser hit a home run off Hoby Milner to give the Orioles a 6-4 lead that would end as the final score.
Drink your milk, kids.
Craig Kimbrel took the mound in the ninth, and left the bases loaded as he struck out Sal Frelick to win the game for Baltimore.
Craig Kimbrel’s 3Ks in the 9th.
Cowser’s fourth hit in four games couldn’t have been better timed, if that’s believable. Because when you’re the hottest hitter in baseball, all your hits are timed perfectly.
Jackson Holliday’s hoping he can follow suit.
Jackson Holliday Snaps Hitless Streak
Prior to their April 14 win over the Brewers, Holliday was 0-11 with 7 strikeouts to begin his career with Baltimore.
He finally found that elusive first hit in the bottom of the seventh inning, down 4-3, with a single by off of Abner Uribe.
HERE. WE. GO.
Holliday walked color commentators Kevin Brown and Jim Palmer through the career-moment postgame.
Hear from Jackson Holliday after his first Major League hit. 🔊
“I saw a first pitcher slider,” Holliday said. “And I was able to take it. And then I knew a heater was coming. Glad to be able to square it up and get a hit.”
With his first career hit under his belt, the 20-year-old is already focusing on the Orioles’ next game, against the Minnesota Twins.
“I’m very excited to get it out the way. And I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” Holliday told Brown and Palmer with a grin.
It’s the beginning of something special, for both Colton Cowser and Jackson Holliday.
And for the Baltimore Orioles, the next chapter of a book that began in 2022 with promises of the franchise’s return to prominence.