Colton Cowser

Cowser made his big-league debut in early-July, and while he played regularly for brief stretches, he never got going at the plate and was sent back to Triple-A in mid-August. From there, he helped lead the Norfolk Tides to the Triple-A National Championship, hitting a grand slam in the title game against the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate. The No. 5 overall pick in 2021, Cowser seemingly mastered the highest level of the minors, slashing .300/.417/.520 with 17 home runs, nine steals, a 26.8 K% and a 16.0 BB% in 87 games. He had a 110-mph maxEV at Triple-A and a 105-mph 90th percentile exit velocity, so Cowser projects for at least average game pop (20-25 homers over a full prime season). He's an above-average runner with a plus arm, so he can play all three outfield spots as needed. Even when he was struggling in the majors, Cowser was walking almost 17 percent of the time, and he has never had a walk rate below 10 percent in pro ball, so he still has a chance to lead off long-term for this loaded young lineup. However, in the short term, he'll likely be in the bottom half while sitting against some lefties. Baltimore's trade activity this winter will dictate whether Cowser opens at Triple-A or in the majors.

The Orioles are going to be quite good, sooner than later, and Cowser has a chance to be their leadoff hitter. The No. 5 overall pick from 2021 started the year at High-A and finished the year at Triple-A, with his best run coming in 49 games at Double-A where he rode a .446 BABIP to a .341/.469/.568 slash line with 10 home runs, a 16.1 BB% and a 25.4 K%. In addition to being an on-base maven (career .422 OBP), Cowser has generally graded out as an above-average runner, but he only attempted three steals over the final 72 games after going 17-for-18 on stolen-base attempts in the first 65 games. That said, there's no reason he can't steal double-digit bases in the majors if he has the green light. Cowser's 19 home runs in 627 plate appearances accurately represents where his power projects. The main things to keep an eye on are his strikeouts and batting average. A 27.9 K% while walking 15% of the time and logging an .877 OPS isn't a death knell, but he hasn't proven yet that he will be a high-AVG hitter against top-end pitching. Cowser is a center fielder by trade, but he can also move to left, depending where the need is in Baltimore. He should debut this season.

Cowser has put up eye-popping numbers at mid-major Sam Houston State and as a 21-year-old in complex ball and at Low-A, but we're still waiting for him to perform against strong competition. That's not his fault, but the context of his statistics is relevant. He was a career .374/.490/.680 hitter in the Southland Conference and hit .375/.490/.492 with two home runs and seven steals in 32 games in the lower levels of the minors after the Orioles gave him an under-slot $4.9 million bonus after taking him with the No. 5 overall pick. His hit tool is clearly his top fantasy-relevant tool, as it's unclear how long he will maintain above-average speed and he is not a lock to tap into 20-homer power. The hope is that he can be a strong leadoff hitter for an improved Orioles lineup by 2024.