Orioles' outfielder Colton Cowser deserves AL RoY award after stellar season

Now that the MLB award finalists have been announced, we can finally start to wrap up the 2024 season. And thanks to the outstanding performance of outfielder Colton Cowser, the Orioles have a good chance to see one of their young stars win the AL Rookie of the Year award for the second season in a row.

Last year, Gunnar Henderson took the world by storm en route to the AL Rookie of the Year award. The Orioles came close in 2022 as well, as catcher Adley Rutschman finished second in the voting behind eventual winner Julio Rodriguez of the Mariners.

Cowser will be battling against two Yankees' rookies in catcher Austin Wells and starting pitcher Luis Gil. Cowser is arguably the favorite based on his output. His 4.0 fWAR lead the group, and his 24 homers and 9 steals far outpace what Wells was able to do behind the plate.

Orioles rookie Colton Cowser deserves the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year award

Despite Cowser seemingly having the advantage over Wells, Gil has a real chance to take home the award. He threw 151.2 innings, pitching to the tune of a 3.50 ERA with 171 strikeouts. Voters will likely lean on his 15-7 record, which was far and away best among American League rookies.

Though he fell just short of qualifying for the ERA title, his 15 wins were still tied for third best league-wide. He also worked his way into the top-10 in terms of strikeout rate among full-time starters.

At the end of the day though, Cowser's performance should be enough to win him the award. In addition to the exceptional offensive contributions, Cowser chipped in strong defense in all three outfield spots.

Cowser spent the majority of his time in left field, where he put up +4 Defensive Runs Saved. He was also a viable alternative to Cedric Mullins out in center, especially when the veteran was struggling through the middle of the summer.

At this point, there's no reason to think that Cowser will slow down in 2025. Yes, he underwent surgery to resolve an issue in his broken hand back in October but the prognosis there is that he'll be ready to go well before Opening Day.

Cowser deserves to win this award, and it'll be a shame if the voters decide to give it to Gil. However, whether or not Cowser actually gets it, knowing that the O's have added another strong asset to their core of young players is just as valuable.