Good day, everyone. It’s time for some more Up-and-Coming Dynasty Player talk. This week I am going to focus on a player who is not an under-the-radar player in Colton Cowser. When you are the fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft, it is hard to fly under the radar.
A Houston native, Colton had a standout career at Sam Houston State in Huntsville, TX, which is located just north of Houston. In three years, he slashed .354/.460/.608 with 24 homers and 112 RBI in 125 games with only 70 strikeouts (12%) to go with 76 walks (13.1%).
Cowser has been a Top 100 Prospect since 2022, when he entered the season ranked 98th by Baseball America, 66th by MLB, and 46th by Baseball Prospectus. In 2023 those rankings were #41, #40, and #38 and this season he entered the campaign at #34, #19, and #51.
His minor league career backs up those rankings. In three minor league seasons, he has a .298/.420/.489 slash line along with 38 homers, 162 RBI, and 34 steals in 258 games. He has maintained his high walk rate at 15.6%, but unlike at Sam Houston State, his strikeouts have greatly increased to 25.9%.
Colton Cowser is now establishing himself as a cornerstone player. Let’s take a look at why he is an Up-and-Coming Dynasty Player.
The Stats
| YEAR/MONTH | G | R | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 26 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 1 | .115 | .286 | .148 |
| 2024 | 101 | 45 | 16 | 47 | 7 | .245 | .326 | .458 |
| April | 28 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 3 | .303 | .372 | .632 |
| May | 25 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 0 | .188 | .305 | .275 |
| June | 27 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 2 | .182 | .250 | .429 |
| July | 21 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 2 | .315 | .378 | .507 |
The Minors
Colton Cowser wasted little time in flying through the Baltimore system. After being drafted and signed, the Orioles sent him to Rookie ball where he played in seven games and slashed .500/.560/.773 before being promoted to Class A Delmarva. In 32 games there he slashed .375/.490/.492 and had more walks (22) than strikeouts (19).
In 2022 Cowser spent 63 games at High-A, 49 at Double-A, and finished the year at Triple-A Norfolk. Combined, he slashed .278/.406/.469 with 19 homers, 66 RBI, and 18 steals in 139 games. Not bad for his first full season in professional baseball.
The 2023 season saw Cowser start the year at Norfolk. But he proved he was too good for Triple-A as he slashed .300/.417/.520 with 17 homers, 62 RBI, and nine steals. He had an outstanding walk rate at 16% but a less than stellar 26.8% strikeout rate.
The MLB
With Colton Cowser hammering the ball in the minors, the Orioles decided it was time to bring him up and insert him into the lineup. The results were less than stellar.
Cowser appeared in a total of 26 games and compiled a .115/.286/.148 slash line with zero homers and four RBI. He had a 26.6% strikeout rate but did have a 16.8% walk rate. Nonetheless, Baltimore sent Cowser back down, where he finished the season in Triple-A.
This season has been an up-and-down ride for Cowser and his fans. He started the year hot, as you can see above in the table. Then came May and June, two months in which he hit below .200. But he turned things around in July, slashing .315/.378/.507.
The Tools
There should be no doubting Cowser’s ability to hit. He has always done so. He’s just gone through some long periods of adjustments. Cowser is proving he can hit an MLB fastball, hitting .277 against the pitch with an EV of 94.5 mph and a .588 slugging percentage while having only a 20.5 Whiff%.
But breaking balls and offspeed pitches are still giving him fits.
He is hitting .239 against breaking balls with a .402 SLG and a massive 42.9 Whiff% though with an EV of 90 mph when he does make contact. Against offspeed pitches, he is hitting a paltry .164 with a .197 SLG, 85.4 mph EV, and a 38.1 Whiff%.
His walk percentage proves Cowser has an understanding of the strike zone. He just has to learn to identify the breaking and offspeed pitch and cut down on his hefty 30.1 Whiff%
Cowser came out of college known more as a hit over power bat. But as he has shown, he can hit for power as well. That can be attributed to his ability to barrel the ball and hit it hard.
This season he ranks in the 83rd percentile in EV, 86th percentile in Hard Hit%, 87th percentile in xSLG, and in the 92nd percentile in Barrel%. And those ranks include the two months he struggled at the plate.
On the basepaths, Cowser is not the fastest runner out there. But he has above average speed and gets good jumps, allowing him to be a threat to swipe bases. He has seven already this season and should be able to swipe 12-15 bags per year.
The Verdict
The Orioles have pushed Colton Cowser through the system very quickly. While he has had his slumps, he has been able to make the needed adjustments at the plate to become a regular starter in the outfield for the Birds. Though he has seen the majority of his starts come out in left field, his athleticism allows him to play all three outfield positions, making him even more valuable in leagues that start outfielders by position.
While both Yahoo and ESPN cater more to redraft leagues, it is still surprising to see Cowser is available in 41% of Yahoo leagues and 72% of ESPN leagues.
Colton Cowser may not be a superstar in the making, but he is a player who can help you across the board. Who doesn’t want a player like that on their team?
