Someone has to say it...

[Three Run Homer]

...Cowser looks terrible.  At the plate, in the field, even on the basepaths.   I see okay plate discipline and nothing else.  

 

[banks703]

I’ll just copy and paste .. 

 

Cowser has taken time to adjust to new levels. That’s been pretty well documented. It took Adley 15 games or so to get it going last year. It took Gunnar two months or so this year. You want Cowser’s bat for the stretch. Management felt like the time was right to acclimate him. Let’s look at where he is in three weeks or a month and worry then if he’s not adjusting. It’s easy to forget that he is in fact a rookie with less than ten games to his major league career.

[maybenxtyr]

10 minutes ago, Three Run Homer said:

...Cowser looks terrible.  At the plate, in the field, even on the basepaths.   I see okay plate discipline and nothing else.  

 

So, would you rather go into 2024 with a bunch of question marks or would you maybe rather give these guys some time now? That's the only question really. What this team has accomplished so far has been excellent but everything that they're trying to build goes beyond just 2023.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

17 minutes ago, banks703 said:

I’ll just copy and paste .. 

 

Cowser has taken time to adjust to new levels. That’s been pretty well documented. It took Adley 15 games or so to get it going last year. It took Gunnar two months or so this year. You want Cowser’s bat for the stretch. Management felt like the time was right to acclimate him. Let’s look at where he is in three weeks or a month and worry then if he’s not adjusting. It’s easy to forget that he is in fact a rookie with less than ten games to his major league career.

If Cowser is still struggling after a reasonable adjustment period the Orioles aren't going to just keep penciling his name into the lineup daily. Cower has a really good bat and he could be a difference maker in September if he can get acclimated against MLB pitchers.

Cal Ripken during his ROY season had a .184 batting average through his first 91 PA's. 

 

[accinfo]

29 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

If Cowser is still struggling after a reasonable adjustment period the Orioles aren't going to just keep penciling his name into the lineup daily. Cower has a really good bat and he could be a difference maker in September if he can get acclimated against MLB pitchers.

Cal Ripken during his ROY season had a .184 batting average through his first 91 PA's. 

 

Yes and Gunnar Henderson was batting 201 on May 31.  

[Malike]

31 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

If Cowser is still struggling after a reasonable adjustment period the Orioles aren't going to just keep penciling his name into the lineup daily. Cower has a really good bat and he could be a difference maker in September if he can get acclimated against MLB pitchers.

Cal Ripken during his ROY season had a .184 batting average through his first 91 PA's. 

 

I'd keep penciling him in. If he's not hitting by the end of the season, then people can stop using the excuse of "it always takes him a while to adjust to a new league". We'll see what they do at the deadline. If they don't make some impactful changes to the pitching, play the kids, punt the rest of the season, and gear up for the slaughter next year.

Edited July 19, 2023 by Malike

[Malike]

1 minute ago, accinfo said:

Yes and Gunnar Henderson was batting 201 on May 31.  

Gunnar showed flashes immediately last year when he was called up. Everyone saw it. There is a difference.

[maybenxtyr]

Just now, Malike said:

I'd keep penciling him in. If he's not hitting by the end of the season, then people can stop using the excuse of "it always takes him a while to adjust to a new league". We'll see what they do at the deadline. If they don't make some impactful changes to the pitching, play the kids, punt the rest of the season, and gear up the slaughter next year.

That's the perspective I'm taking with 2023. They have to give the young guys a chance because they're not likely to build a team with free agents. Still 20 games over with a good bit to go.

[johnrambo]

Other than his batting eye he looks absolutely terrible. Like a completely overmatched player. We will see if it continues. Hope not, but drafting is not an exact science. Busts are inevitable. Somebody has to be the guy who busts. It is what it is.

[owknows]

25 minutes ago, johnrambo said:

Other than his batting eye he looks absolutely terrible. Like a completely overmatched player. We will see if it continues. Hope not, but drafting is not an exact science. Busts are inevitable. Somebody has to be the guy who busts. It is what it is.

LOL

He has 27 MLB AB's

And he's a bust?

[Billy F-Face3]

The fact that this thread and this discussion exists was quite predictable a month ago when everyone was ckamoring for him. People should stop expecting players who never played in the Majors to replace our core stars in the lineup right away. They are rookies. It takes time to adjust to the quality of pitching. Sometimes it takes a long time to adjust. Sometimes they are just intimidated by The Show. 

And sometimes, there's not enough room to play these struggling rookies when every AB matters in the chase to win the division.

See Kyle Stowers, Joey Ortiz, Josh Lester, Terrin Vavra, Yusniel Fiaz (who had 1 AB-ONE) etc etc etc.

Even Gunnar took a bit to start the season and Adley took a Month when he was called up last season. 

Calling up prospects takes alot more strategy now that the team is in a playoff battle and not losing anymore, and there's no margin for error. It's one thing if the vet in front of them was giving no production like Mateo for examole, but it's a totally seperate conversion for people expecting Cowser to instantly replace outfielders like Santander, Hays, Hicks, or Mullins.

[Winter]

Lol better bench the 23 year old with 27ABs to get the proven bats of Mateo in or McKenna back up, or start Mountcastle versus righties every game. Sure he's not coming up tearing up the league but stop acting like 23 year old Cowser is taking AB's away from a .350+ OBP player and guys who never dropped a routine fly ball to lose a game. -- Saying bench/send down Cowser is basically the same as saying give Jesus Aguilar ABs over Stowers last year.  Now if Mullins is healthy? There would be a case to be made but Mullins looks like he's going to be dealing with this issue the rest of the year.

[Billy F-Face3]

5 minutes ago, Winter said:

 basically the same as saying give Jesus Aguilar ABs over Stowers last year. 

Sigbing Jesus Aguilar was the biggest mistake this front office made when we talk about this topic. If they wanted a 1st basemen they should have moved Anthony Santander there sooner as the backup 1st basemen and given Stowers more Abs( likr you said) or called up Westburg last season. More than any other prospect, Westburg's sample size was consistent and it was large and he deserved to be called up a long time ago. 

[AdleysPecks]

2 hours ago, Three Run Homer said:

...Cowser looks terrible.  At the plate, in the field, even on the basepaths.   I see okay plate discipline and nothing else.  

 

This is a fair assessment. A few things:

1. I watched a ton of him in the minors. Despite what the Orioles said on draft day, he’s not a CFer and frequently misplays balls out there, he’s a corner OFer. 

2.If he’s a corner OFer, impacts value. Reminder: we passed on Jordan Lawlar for him, defying what pretty much every other org had as a far superior prospect, time will tell.

3. Not worried he isn’t going to hit, he will be fine, but not a good choice in CF defensively.,

4. He’s the kinda guy, I’d consider packaging in a trade for the right guy.

5. If he continues to struggle, do we see Kerjstad?

[RZNJ]

It’s fair to say he’s looked bad.  The approach has been good but probably too passive and he hasn’t really driven the ball into the outfield much at all.   He started out this way in AAA this year.   Even worse.    A . 330 avg and .996 OPS are reality of what he did in AAA.   I have to believe it’s just a matter of time before he settles in.    Henderson had to learn to be a little more aggressive early in the count.    It could be a similar lesson for Cowser.    Man on 3rd one out, infield conceding a run, and he lets a 2-0 fastball go by for strike one.   That shouldn’t happen.    He’s definitely missing hittable pitches right now.