How will Cowser's playing time be divided?

Everything was trending in the right direction for Colton Cowser. 

The defense was a known commodity. The second year outfielder brought elite range to the corner outfield, exceptional arm strength, and the versatility to play wherever needed. 

The speed, combined with the O’s increased emphasis on aggression on the basepaths, could’ve helped him reach 20 stolen bases. 

The bat was trending in the right direction during spring training, as the former first-round pick hit .364 with a .462 on-base percentage. Another 20-plus home run season seemed imminent. 

Cowser can still reach all of these benchmarks. He’ll just have six to eight fewer weeks to do it. 

In the meantime, the O’s are without an everyday outfielder. And, perhaps, their only true everyday outfielder. 

Cedric Mullins can stay in the lineup when he’s hot, as evidenced by his starting role against Boston’s left-handed pitching, but has struggled in left-on-left situations in his career. And Baltimore will be cautious with Tyler O’Neill, an elite presence when he’s on the field, but whose injury history precedes him. 

Heston Kjerstad and Ryan O’Hearn seemingly had specific roles to fill, but how do their roles change?

How will the absence of Cowser shake up the outfield? Annie Klaff and I discussed that and more on “The Bird’s Nest,” which you can watch to here: https://masn.me/x37mpu3c

The podcast takes a deeper dive into this topic, but let’s take a brief look at some candidates to see increased playing time. 

Cedric Mullins 

This one is pretty simple. Cowser, a starter in left field, was also the next best option in center field behind Mullins. Ramón Laureano doesn’t have the defensive range that he once did and Jorge Mateo isn’t a regular in center. Mullins is a step above the rest defensively, which should give him a leg up in toss-up lineup decisions. 

Heston Kjerstad 

This wasn’t the way that anyone was hoping to see Kjerstad get more at-bats, but the plate appearances will be there nonetheless. But, an important note: this, more than likely, will not be a one-for-one swap, meaning Kjerstad will not just take all of Cowser’s playing time. However, this does afford Kjerstad the opportunity to prove that he can be an everyday player. 

Kjerstad will need to continue to flash improved defense and hit against left-handed pitching. A .316 batting average against lefties in the big leagues is a good start. But it is, notably, just looking at a 20-plate-appearance sample size. 

Many have pointed to the fact that Kjerstad has found success against left-handed pitchers in Triple-A. However, it’s important to note that quality lefties are a hotter commodity than righties. The gap between a left-handed pitcher in Triple-A and the majors is usually much larger than the same gap for right-handers, because the quality left-handed arms are in the big leagues. Just something to keep in mind if you’re pondering Brandon Hyde’s lineup decisions and how much the organization may be viewing minor league platoon splits. 

Ryan O’Hearn 

The dude just keeps hitting. O’Hearn will keep finding ways into the lineup for as long as he continues to drive the ball, and with his outfield versatility, I would anticipate seeing him in the corners more frequently. 

For all of the situations where Hyde could start Kjerstad or O’Hearn at designated hitter, the door seems to be more open for option C: both, with one in the corner outfield and one at DH. 

Ramón Laureano

Without Cowser’s presence as a true everyday player, the O’s outfield is going to be composed of a lot of platoons. Enter Laureano, who boasts an OPS around .800 against left-handed pitching in his career. A platoon always seemed to be the plan for him, but that role could see expansion. 

Dylan Carlson 

Carlson may be the victim of a roster crunch with Gunnar Henderson’s reinstatement from the injured list, but he does provide another left-handed hitting option. However, his splits hitting from the right side of the plate are more impressive. Carlson’s minor league options may leave him as the “break glass in case of emergency” man in this outfield. 

Be sure to tune into “The Bird’s Nest” every Wednesday at 11 a.m. on our MASN Orioles YouTube and Facebook pages, or after the fact on any of your favorite podcast platforms. If you have any questions for me that haven’t been answered in my articles or comments, the podcast is a great place to ask. I hope you’ll join us on a lunch break.