Hello everyone. It’s time for more talk of the Next Dynasty Player. This week I’m going to focus on an under-the-radar non-player Colton Cowser. When you’re the fifth pick in the 2021 draft, it’s hard to fly under the radar.
A native of Houston, Colton had an impressive career at Sam Houston State in Huntsville, TX, which is north of Houston. In three years, he slashed .354/.460/.608 with 24 homers and 112 RBI in 125 games with just 70 strikeouts (12%) and 76 walks (13.1%).
Cowser has been a Top 100 prospect since 2022, entering this 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 supports those standards. In three minor league seasons, he has a .298/.420/.489 slash line with 38 homers, 162 RBI, and 34 steals in 258 games. He kept his high walk rate at 15.6%, but unlike at Sam Houston State, his strikeout rate skyrocketed to 25.9%.
Colton Cowser is now establishing himself as a chamber musician. Let’s take a look at why he is a Rising Star Player.
Statistics
| YEAR/MONTH | G | R | HR | The 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 little ones
Colton Cowser spent little time flying through Baltimore’s system. After being released and signed, the Orioles sent him to rookie ball where he played seven games and hit .500/.560/.773 before being promoted to Class A Delmarva. In 32 games there he hit .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 begin the year in Norfolk. But he proved to be very good in Triple-A as he slashed .300/.417/.520 with 17 homers, 62 RBIs, and nine steals. He had a career-best 16% walk rate but a subpar 26.8% strikeout rate.
The MLB
With Colton Cowser hitting the ball in the minors, the Orioles decided it was time to bring him up and put him on the roster. 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 RBIs. He had a 26.6% strikeout rate but a 16.8% walk rate. Nevertheless, Baltimore sent Cowser down, where he finished the season in Triple-A.
This season has been up and up for Cowser and his fans. He started the year hot, as you can see in the table above. Then came May and June, two months in which he hit under .200. But he turned things around in July, slashing .315/.378/.507.
Tools
There should be no doubting Cowser’s hitting ability. He has always done so. You just went through some long periods of adjustment. Cowser is proving he can hit the MLB fastball, hitting .277 against the pitch with an EV of 94.5 mph and a .588 slugging percentage while only having a 20.5 Whiff%.
But breaking balls and offspeed pitches still make him consistent.
He is hitting .239 against breaking balls with a .402 SLG and a great 42.9 Whiff% albeit with an EV of 90 mph on contact. Against offspeed pitches, he is hitting a measly .164 with a .197 SLG, 85.4 mph EV, and a 38.1 Whiff%.
His walk percentage proves that Cowser understands the strike zone. He just has to learn to identify the breaking and offspeed pitch and reduce his massive 30.1 Whiff%
Cowser came out of college with a reputation as a hit over power bat. But as he has shown, he can hit with power. That is because of his ability to drill 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 92nd percentile in Barrel%. And those ranks include the two months he struggled at the plate.
On the roads, Cowser is not the fastest runner out there. But he has above-average speed and gets a good jump shot, which allows him to be a threat to swipe the bases. He already has seven this season and should be able to swipe 12-15 sacks on the year.
The decision
The Orioles pushed Colton Cowser through the system very quickly. Although he has had his share of sloppiness, he has been able to make the necessary adjustments at the plate to become a regular pitcher for the Birds. Although he has seen the majority of his starts in left field, his athleticism allows him to play all three outfield positions, making him extremely valuable in leagues that start outfielders at the position.
While both Yahoo and ESPN heavily cater to redraft leagues, it’s still surprising to see Cowser in 41% of Yahoo’s leagues and 72% of ESPN’s leagues.
Colton Cowser may not be a master in the making, but he is a player who can help you across the board. Who wouldn’t want a player like that in their team?
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