SARASOTA-What’s happening? Last season, centerfielder Colton Cowser had two stints on the injured list, one for the thumb he broke diving headfirst into first base and another when he crashed into the outfield wall in Philadelphia.
He played just 92 games. In 2024, his rookie season, Cowser hit .242 with a .768 OPS, 24 home runs and 69 RBIs. Last year, he hit only .196 with 16 homers and 40 RBIs and a .650 OPS. Strikeouts have been an issue both seasons — 172 in 2024 and 128 last season.
“I felt like I was rehabbing for a little bit,” Cowser said. “Feeling really good. It was a healthy offseason, body feels good.“
Cowser, who was married in the offseason, is excited about the club’s additions — first baseman Pete Alonso, outfielder Taylor Ward, starting pitchers Shane Baz and Zach Efflin, relief pitchers Ryan Helsley and Andrew Kittridge, utility player Blaze Alexander.
“Very confident in this team,” he said. “I feel like every year, the front office has made some moves. We feel optimistic. This year, there’s a little different feel. I’m really excited to continue to work with these guys and get to know them on a personal level and pick their brain.”
Cowser knows he needs to reduce his strikeouts. In his first three seasons, he’s stuck out in 36.3 percent of his at-bats.
He’ll get to work with new hitting coaches Dustin Lind and Brady North.
“We haven’t really talked about that,” Cowser said. “That’s just a personal goal of mine every year. Last year, got caught up with injuries and trying to do too much.
“It felt like in every at-bat, I was trying to get four hits in one at-bat … trying to change my stats every at-bat rather than just stack good at-bats. That kind of got a little skewed towards the end of last year. I was trying to make up for a lot of things I missed.”
Manager Craig Albernaz hasn’t decided on a starter for Friday’s Grapefruit League opener against the New York Yankees in Sarasota.
What’s happened? The Orioles hired Robinson Chirinos as special assistant to baseball operations and player development. Chirinos, who was the team’s bench coach last year, will work with players, coaches and staff in the team’s lower minors.
Chirinos is serving as bench coach for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.
Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells, Keegan Akin and Yennier Cano threw at Ed Smith Stadium. Among those who hit were Alonso, Ward, Cowser, Samuel Basallo, Dylan Beavers, Maverick Handley, Heston Kjerstad, Ryan Mountcastle, Tyler O’Neill and Adley Rutschman.
What’s up with Andrew Magno? The 27-year-old Magno was signed by the Orioles to a minor league contract late last year. He spent six seasons in the Detroit Tigers organization and was 8-1 with a 2.31 ERA and four saves last season. The left-hander allowed just two home runs in 66 1/3 innings.
“It’s fun getting to meet a lot of these guys I’ve played against,” Magno said. “To be in the room with elite-level major league baseball players is really, really cool.”
He’s one of many non-roster pitchers trying to stand out.
“It can be tough,” he acknowledges. “I can shake a lot of hands and say, ‘hi,’ but ultimately, just get out there and play ball. That’s all I can do. Trying to focus less on the idea of: ‘What do people think about me’ and more so focusing on: ‘Here’s what I’m going to do.’”
Magno graduated from Ohio State and is one of a few players from Ohio in professional baseball.
“You don’t get the luxury of playing every day of the year,” he said. “There is a disadvantage of figuring out how I’m going to throw a baseball in December. The gritty part of it is when you go back up north, and it’s still 40 degrees outside, I’m used to this. I know how to play in this. It’s fun to have that little banter sometimes of I was born of this.
What’s what? Albernaz said workout music is chosen by a different player each day. Alonso chose Monday’s music. Tuesday’s was chosen by Basallo, who’ll choose the disc jockey for Wednesday.
“The only thing I ask is clean music,” Albernaz said. “Try to make it clean music. There was a little bit of hiccup one day early. We made the adjustment. We want clean music.”
Albernaz said if he got to pick music, ‘it would be a hodgepodge of old school hip hop and house music.”
What’s the word? “If he picks up where he left off, we’re going to be in really good shape even if he’s slightly below where he was last year, we’re going to be in really good shape. I’m looking forward to him having a full year and putting that many innings under his belt and being a workhorse for us.”–Cowser on Trevor Rogers, who was 9-3 with a 1.81 ERA last year.
What’s the number? 99. The highest number in spring training belongs to non-roster reliever Keegan Gillies, who’s wearing No. 99.
Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: [email protected]