Orioles should consider converting Stowers to 1B

[Tony-OH]

With a crowded outfield picture from next year on, it would make some sense to try and convert someone to first base to see how they play there. I know they say they've started with Santander, which is good, but they may also want to consider others.

The guy I think might be a good fit is the 6-foot-3 Stowers. Coming up, I never was too impressed with his outfield speed and his early statcast sprint speeds show him to be a below average runner (32nd percentile). I've been saying for awhile that he's a Santander-like defender in RF and in case you haven't been paying attention, Santander is not exactly a speed burner out there. He throws effectively 

Now Stowers is not a Mancini like outfielder so it's not an emergency to move him, but he's a big target, left-hander (preferred for 1B) and he might be the best place for him long term.

If he could play there effectively, this could free up the Orioles to move Mountcastle in the right deal this offseason.

2023 Outfield options

LF: Hays, Vavra, McKenna, Cowser
CF: Mullins, McKenna, Vavra, Hays, Cowser
RF: Stowers, Santander, Hays, Cowser

 

[NCRaven]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

2023 Outfield options

LF: Hays, Vavra, McKenna, Cowser
CF: Mullins, McKenna, Vavra, Hays, Cowser
RF: Stowers, Santander, Hays, Cowser

 

Tony, do you have Cowser as the last option at each position because you doubt he'll be on the '23 roster to start the season?  Clearly, he has as much or more talent than many of the players you have on this depth chart.

[Sports Guy]

Speaking of Stowers defense…

 

[Tony-OH]

Just now, NCRaven said:

Tony, do you have Cowser as the last option at each position because you doubt he'll be on the '23 roster to start the season?  Clearly, he has as much or more talent than many of the players you have on this depth chart.

Yeah, I thin he's going to be an option next year but not at the beginning of the year. I think he'll be starting in RF probably by May or June or potentially earlier depending on offseason deals.

I could see a midseason lineup that looks like this:

1B: Stowers
2B: Westburg
SS: Mateo
3B: Henderson
LF: Hays
CF: Mullins
RF: Cowser
DH: Santander/Rutschman on his day off from catching

This is why I think Stowers would be best served as 1B. 

[Aristotelian]

I agree we should be looking into options. Further out of the box, what about Vavra? He is not your typical slugging 1B but if he can put up .800 OPS from tons of walks he might be more productive than Mountcastle. I have a feeling Vavra would be better at 1B than Stowers, and Stowers may be better at OF than Vavra (at least he has a stronger arm). Our best defense may be with Stowers in OF and Vavra at 1B, and our offense would be the same as what you are proposing, at least until Cowser is ready. 

Urias is another option if he gets squeezed out of the other infield spots. 

[Sports Guy]

I think this becomes a viable option if Mountcastle is moved in a trade.

[Frobby]

I don’t think it could hurt to have Stowers as an option at 1B.   As to timing, i think that’s something to work on in spring training.   It may be a bit much to have him learn 1B while also adjusting to major league pitching.

I agree with you that he doesn’t look that fast.   The sample sizes on sprint speed are small but just watching him he seems a tad below average.   

[Ceciltrav]

I don't know why but Stowers reminds me of Richie Sexton

[Tony-OH]

1 minute ago, Sports Guy said:

I think this becomes a viable option if Mountcastle is moved in a trade.

Mountcastle makes some sense for Miami in a trade for pitching. Either way, it won't hurt his versatility to learn 1B and there are no real 1B prospects in the minors. 

[eddie83]

Cody Bellinger Lite. 

[Tony-OH]

4 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

I agree we should be looking into options. Further out of the box, what about Vavra? He is not your typical slugging 1B but if he can put up .800 OPS from tons of walks he might be more productive than Mountcastle. I have a feeling Vavra would be better at 1B than Stowers, and Stowers may be better at OF than Vavra (at least he has a stronger arm). Our best defense may be with Stowers in OF and Vavra at 1B, and our offense would be the same as what you are proposing, at least until Cowser is ready. 

Urias is another option if he gets squeezed out of the other infield spots. 

Vavra is small and most teams don't like small guys at 1B. He could be a potential option but I'm not sure his bats plays as a regular without a little more pop. Urias might be an option as well, but again, not sure the bat profile there though he's putting up similiar numbers to Mountcastle this year.

[Moose Milligan]

I support this idea, but there's still questions if the bat will play.  But if the benchmark is Ryan Mountcastle, it's a low bar to hurdle.

[jamalshw]

38 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Yeah, I thin he's going to be an option next year but not at the beginning of the year. I think he'll be starting in RF probably by May or June or potentially earlier depending on offseason deals.

I could see a midseason lineup that looks like this:

1B: Stowers
2B: Westburg
SS: Mateo
3B: Henderson
LF: Hays
CF: Mullins
RF: Cowser
DH: Santander/Rutschman on his day off from catching

This is why I think Stowers would be best served as 1B. 

My only concern is how left-handed heavy that lineup is. You basically have 4 lefties, two switch hitters and 3 righties which sounds somewhat balanced, but Adley's numbers against LHP hasn't been great this year and the three righties are guys we likely see at or near the bottom of the order (depending on where you put Hays). Obviously, McKenna can get a start against a LHP with either Mullins or Cowser on the bench and maybe you can also have the back up catcher in there with Rutschman at 1B and Stowers on the bench in certain cases depending on whether the Orioles would entertain Rutschman at 1B occasionally in the Majors. Given that, I may be talking myself into it a bit more, but I figure Vavra is probably one of the other bench players. Maybe Urias is the other and that would allow for more opportunities against LHP (particularly if Urias is able to play some at 1B unless Henderson moves to 1B and Urias plays 3B on those days. In the end, I guess the versatility some of these guys have certainly helps allow Hyde to get creative. 

[Sports Guy]

37 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Mountcastle makes some sense for Miami in a trade for pitching. Either way, it won't hurt his versatility to learn 1B and there are no real 1B prospects in the minors. 

They are doing this with a mor of players. Gotta think they will with him as well.

[Aristotelian]

24 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Vavra is small and most teams don't like small guys at 1B. He could be a potential option but I'm not sure his bats plays as a regular without a little more pop. Urias might be an option as well, but again, not sure the bat profile there though he's putting up similiar numbers to Mountcastle this year.

Agreed, he doesn't fit the profile. Just thinking of a way to get his bat in the lineup. Stowers occurred to me as well, and I know they have been giving Santander ground balls there and trying Gunnar there.

To your point, Stowers played 1B at Bellingham.