The Baltimore Orioles will have a new-look squad in 2026, but outfielder Colton Cowser is a part of the young core that it's retaining from previous seasons. However, the 25-year-old must improve on his 2025 performance if he wants to stick around.

Cowser slashed just .196/.269/.385 with 16 homers and 40 RBIs over 92 games in an injury-shortened campaign, one year after slashing .242/.321/.768 with 24 homers and 69 RBIs over 153 contests as a rookie. 

Cowser was voted by fellow players as the AL's Most Outstanding Rookie in 2024, but a fractured thumb and a concussion threw him off in 2025. Additionally, opposing pitchers dominated him with off-speed pitches, per SB Nation's Alex Church (stats from Baseball Savant).

"Cowser hit .242 with 12 homers and 10 doubles against fastballs. However, he hit just .120 with three homers and three doubles against breaking balls (Slider, Curve, Knuckle, Sweeper, Slurve) and .167 with one HR and one 2B against offspeed pitches (Split, Change, Fork Screw)," he wrote. "His Whiff percentage jumped from 23.2% against heaters to 47.7% off of breaking balls and 45.5% against offspeed pitches."

On the bright side, Cowser will have the chance to improve next season. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder is a part of an outfield rotation including newly-acquired left fielder Taylor Ward, veteran right fielder Tyler O'Neill, 26-year-old left fielder Heston Kjerstad, and 24-year-old left fielder Dylan Beavers. The Orioles dealt veteran center fielder Cedric Mullins to the New York Mets at the trade deadline, leaving a possible opening for Cowser.

Colton Cowser Must Reach Potential in 2026

Baltimore selected Cowser No. 5 overall in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Sam Houston State. The Texas native was a decorated collegiate player, as he was the Southland Conference Player of the Year and an All-Defensive honoree in 2021.

Cowser got his first big-league call-up in 2023, but slashed just .115/.286/.433 with four RBIs over 26 games. However, he made the Orioles' Opening Day roster in 2024 and had a successful rookie season.

Cowser proved that he can produce at the top level that year, but he must do so consistently for it to mean anything. With superstar first baseman Pete Alonso as well as proven players like Ward and shortstop Gunnar Henderson in the lineup, he must be exceptional to stand out.

Staying healthy is the first priority, as well as putting in the work to improve against off-speed pitches. If Cowser does those two things, he'll likely look more like the 2024 version of himself than the 2025 one.