All the talk about Cowser and Kjerstad…but what about Stowers?

[Sports Guy]

The most forgotten person in the Os org is Kyle Stowers.  Like Cowser and Kjerstad, he should be on a ML roster getting regular playing time.

Stowers, who just turned 26, had some injury issues last year but in 258 at bats, he put up a 275/388/566 slash line.  Now, it was his third stint at AAA (the first one being in 2022 when he had less than 100 at bats) but it’s not like he struggled at AAA before 2024 and finally nailed it because of repeating the level and being older.

In AA, he had a 938 OPS in his stint there in 2022.  His career MiL OPS is 868 and ironically, that’s pushed down by his first season in the minors, in the Penn league in Aberdeen where he had a 666 OPS in 204 at bats.  The next 3 MiL seasons, his OPS were 897, 884 and 954.

In a total of 1441 MiL PA, he has 181 walks, which is a 12.5% rate, which is very good. His OBP is 99 points higher than his BA in his MiL career.  Of course the K rate is also high, striking out 28% of his PA in the minors.

He has big power and hits the ball hard, routinely having high exit velos.  He has 120 extra base hits between AAA and AA. Thats an xbh once every 8.8 PA.

His big league career hasn’t been good although it’s only 129 PA. But the OPs is sub 600 and his defense, which Tony has repeatedly said is fine, has been subpar.  But again, this was all done in a SSS and it covered 2 different seasons.  He has struck out in about a third of PA at this level.

Now, I know the easy answer is we should look to trade him and I agree.  As I said in the other thread, Stowers and Norby should be able to fetch a really nice BP piece.

 But let’s say we can’t trade him or what we get in return isn’t worth it..what should they do with him?

Should he be getting a chance over Cowser and/or Kjerstad to start?   
 

I think we all assume Cowser and Kjerstad are better and will be better but is that a slam dunk? I personally skeptical of all 3 of these guys but also acknowledge that any of them could be an AS level player.

 

Edited February 6 by Sports Guy

[Can_of_corn]

I'd say it's Norby.

[glenn__davis]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I'd say it's Norby.

It's subjective of course but I agree with SG.  I think Stowers is pretty much forgotten by most.  Norby may be in a tougher spot in terms of PT but I think people at least see/recognize that.

That said - I don't think I'd give him a chance over Cowser/Kjerstad just because.  Maybe in the past to see what we had with him but those days are gone right now.  We should be playing whoever we think gives the team the best chance to win.  

[Ripken]

Ortiz and Stowers were the two guys I really thought Elias needed to move, or make room for, this offseason.  He's done so with Ortiz, who had more value.  I really doubt Stowers ever plays regularly in Baltimore.  Even with the current starting OF potentially being replaced in 2 years, Kyle should not sit in Norfolk any longer. 

I think the easy answer is, barring another Orioles trade or injury this spring, to trade him for, well, something of value.  I don't think he alone returns a good bullpen piece this year (though he could be coupled with another player) so I'll go for trying to get a young, lotto ticket type return.

[Sanity Check]

Stowers needs to do some really good things and force us to make a decision, or become coveted by another team.  I feel like he's been passed by Cowser and Kjerstad.  It'll be interesting to see what kind of spring he has now that he should be fully healthy.  

He's not on the Top 50 Orioles prospect list that I just looked at....is he really no longer a prospect?  If he was, I wonder where he might be ranked among our other big guns.

[Mooreisbetter27]

1 minute ago, Sanity Check said:

Stowers needs to do some really good things and force us to make a decision, or become coveted by another team.  I feel like he's been passed by Cowser and Kjerstad.  It'll be interesting to see what kind of spring he has now that he should be fully healthy.  

He's not on the Top 50 Orioles prospect list that I just looked at....is he really no longer a prospect?  If he was, I wonder where he might be ranked among our other big guns.

Tony actually really likes Stowers so he must not be a prospect anymore.

[Sports Guy]

4 minutes ago, Sanity Check said:

Stowers needs to do some really good things and force us to make a decision, or become coveted by another team.  I feel like he's been passed by Cowser and Kjerstad.  It'll be interesting to see what kind of spring he has now that he should be fully healthy.  

He's not on the Top 50 Orioles prospect list that I just looked at....is he really no longer a prospect?  If he was, I wonder where he might be ranked among our other big guns

He has already done really good things.

[Sports Guy]

8 minutes ago, glenn__davis said:

It's subjective of course but I agree with SG.  I think Stowers is pretty much forgotten by most.  Norby may be in a tougher spot in terms of PT but I think people at least see/recognize that.

That said - I don't think I'd give him a chance over Cowser/Kjerstad just because.  Maybe in the past to see what we had with him but those days are gone right now.  We should be playing whoever we think gives the team the best chance to win.  

Norby does get lost in things for sure but we still talk about him, whether it be in trades or even now as a potential 4th OFer/DH type.

Stowers doesn’t get his name mentioned at all.

[Roll Tide]

I suspect Stowers will be dealt. I’m hoping Norby makes the team. 

[Sanity Check]

9 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

He has already done really good things.

I should have specified....In Spring Training this year.  He's done some not really good things, too.  As in, he and Cowser didn't show last year that they undoubtedly belong at the MLB level yet.  That's all I'm saying....and before I get crucified by many, I will state that I agree that how both were used - sporadically - was not conducive to getting over any humps/bumps that they encountered.

Is this better, Mr. Sports Guy? 

[Sanity Check]

2 minutes ago, Roll Tide said:

I suspect Stowers will be dealt. I’m hoping Norby makes the team. 

I hope Norby makes the team as well......that means that we likely traded away guys blocking him for either better MLB pitching options, or pitching reinforcements for Norfolk.  ......or, we dumped guys that were in the way, for basically nothing.  I'm hoping for the former.

[Moose Milligan]

7 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

 

Stowers doesn’t get his name mentioned at all.

I don't think he's impressed anyone during his limited stretches in Baltimore.  

We know he can hit AAA pitching, there's no doubt about that.  And if our roster resembled the 2018 or 2019, I'd be calling for him to get a chance.  

His sample size in Baltimore is small and it's not that great (and I'm being nice about that).  Unfortunately, small sample sizes are something we get to cry and whine about on here, but for a player like Stowers they're a cold, hard reality.

He didn't mash while he was her right away, he didn't play at a level where he forced Baltimore to trade Santander or Hays and he's been bypassed by Kjerstad and Cowser as prospects.  It sucks for him, but it is what it is.  

If that means he's "forgotten" well, too bad.  This isn't a daycare.  It's a great team with an elite pipeline...and guys need to seize an opportunity when they get one.  He didn't.  We can bitch and moan about that being fair or unfair but it's the reality he finds himself in.

 

[Sanity Check]

1 minute ago, Moose Milligan said:

I don't think he's impressed anyone during his limited stretches in Baltimore.  

We know he can hit AAA pitching, there's no doubt about that.  And if our roster resembled the 2018 or 2019, I'd be calling for him to get a chance.  

His sample size in Baltimore is small and it's not that great (and I'm being nice about that).  Unfortunately, small sample sizes are something we get to cry and whine about on here, but for a player like Stowers they're a cold, hard reality.

He didn't mash while he was her right away, he didn't play at a level where he forced Baltimore to trade Santander or Hays and he's been bypassed by Kjerstad and Cowser as prospects.  It sucks for him, but it is what it is.  

If that means he's "forgotten" well, too bad.  This isn't a daycare.  It's a great team with an elite pipeline...and guys need to seize an opportunity when they get one.  He didn't.  We can bitch and moan about that being fair or unfair but it's the reality he finds himself in.

 

Very well said!!  He needs to rise above, or will get lost in the shuffle.

[clapdiddy]

Just now, Moose Milligan said:

I don't think he's impressed anyone during his limited stretches in Baltimore.  

We know he can hit AAA pitching, there's no doubt about that.  And if our roster resembled the 2018 or 2019, I'd be calling for him to get a chance.  

His sample size in Baltimore is small and it's not that great (and I'm being nice about that).  Unfortunately, small sample sizes are something we get to cry and whine about on here, but for a player like Stowers they're a cold, hard reality.

He didn't mash while he was her right away, he didn't play at a level where he forced Baltimore to trade Santander or Hays and he's been bypassed by Kjerstad and Cowser as prospects.  It sucks for him, but it is what it is.  

If that means he's "forgotten" well, too bad.  This isn't a daycare.  It's a great team with an elite pipeline...and guys need to seize an opportunity when they get one.  He didn't.  We can bitch and moan about that being fair or unfair but it's the reality he finds himself in.

 

Stowers has been up a couple of times.   They've seen him in AAA and know what he can do.   It's obvious to me, when I see them acquire other outfielders, how the front office views Stowers.    He's put up very nice numbers at Norfolk.   Some would say outstanding.  He's 26, gotten a few tastes of the bigs, but doesn't stick around. This tells me that the front office doesn't view him as a fit here.   

[wildcard]

Stowers needs to be traded.  Norby needs to learn to play the OF at AAA.