Can Cowser make it two in a rookie row for Orioles? (Gil wins)

The Orioles don’t have much of a presence in this week’s Baseball Writers’ Association of America Awards. Tonight is their one chance at a winner.

Colton Cowser is a finalist for American League Rookie of the Year with Yankees pitcher Luis Gil and catcher Austin Wells.

The BBWAA doesn’t provide odds, which would give away the result and kill the drama. However, Cowser feels like the favorite as an everyday player with the offensive and defensive resume. Gil is the stiffest competition.

Cowser, 24, already earned the Players Choice award last month as the league’s Outstanding Rookie after batting .242/.321.447 with 24 doubles, three triples, 24 home runs, 69 RBIs and 52 walks in 153 games. He became the third Oriole in four years to be recognized following Ryan Mountcastle in 2021 and Gunnar Henderson in 2023. Adley Rutschman was a finalist in 2022.

The 172 strikeouts present an area for improvement in camp and during the upcoming season. Colton can get started on it after his left hand heals from surgery to repair a fracture.

Cowser led AL rookies in home runs and finished third with a .768 OPS. His doubles ranked third behind two players who aren’t under consideration, the Red Sox’s Wilyer Abreu (33) and the Rangers’ Wyatt Langford (25). His RBIs were third behind the Red Sox’s Ceddanne Rafaela (75) and Langford (74), and the walks ranked second to the Angels’ Nolan Schanuel (68).

In FanGraph’s calculations of WAR, Cowser rates a 4.0 that puts him first among AL rookies, ahead of Wells’ 3.4 and Gil’s 2.2. Wells batted .229/.322/.395 with 18 doubles, a triple, 13 home runs and 55 RBIs in 115 games. Gil was 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA, 1.193 WHIP, .189 opponents’ average and 171 strikeouts in 151 2/3 innings over 29 starts. His 77 walks led the majors.

As for the defense, Cowser also was a Gold Glove finalist in left field but lost to the Guardians’ Steven Kwan. He will have less room to roam in 2025 with the wall moving in by as much as 20 feet in some areas.

Gaining more consistency also will be counted among Cowser’s goals next year, which should happen as he matures as a hitter. He was the AL’s Rookie of the Month in April after slashing .303 with seven doubles, six home runs, 18 RBIs and a 1.004 OPS in 28 games but slashed .188/.305/.275 in May and .182/.250/.429 in June. He hit .329 with a .911 OPS in July, .234 with a .718 OPS in August and .232 with a .754 OPS in the final month before the Wild Card series.

A .268/.337/.477 second half followed a .219/.306/.418 first. He hit 12 homers before and after the break and had one more RBI in the second half.

The Players Choice honor is nice became his peers do the voting, but the BBWAA award is the most prestigious. And the Orioles could have their first back-to-back winners in club history after Henderson’s unanimous selection last fall.

Closer Gregg Olson was the most recent winner before Henderson. Ron Hansen was chosen in 1960, Curt Blefary in 1965, Al Bumbry in 1973, Eddie Murray in 1977 and Cal Ripken Jr. in 1982.

A Cowser win also would give the Orioles an extra pick in the draft after the first round through the prospect promotion incentive program.

The Sporting News’ version of the AL Rookie of the Year award this year went to Athletics closer Mason Miller.

MLB Network will air the BBWAA show beginning at 6 p.m. The Managers of the Year will be announced Tuesday, the Cy Young awards Wednesday – with Corbin Burnes fourth or lower – and Most Valuable Players Thursday.

* Gil wins in a close vote.

Gil received 106 points and Cowser was second with 101. Gil had 15 first-place votes, 10 second and one third. Cowser had 13 first-place votes, 11 second and three third.

Oakland’s Mason Miller and Cleveland’s Cade Smith each got a first-place vote.