Cowser rolling in new spot atop O's lineup

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CLEVELAND -- Through the Orioles' first 104 games this season, Gunnar Henderson served as the leadoff hitter nearly every night, batting there 96 times. Either Jordan Westburg (six) or Adley Rutschman (two) started in the No. 1 hole when Henderson wasn’t in that spot.

In an attempt to jolt its offense, Baltimore shook up the batting order at the start of this week. Among the changes was moving red-hot rookie Colton Cowser to the leadoff spot for the first time in his MLB career, and the early results have been quite encouraging.

Cowser has batted leadoff in each of the past seven games and gone 11-for-29 (.379) with one double, two home runs, five RBIs, two walks and seven runs scored.

A conversation that Cowser had with Orioles co-hitting coach Ryan Fuller about “setting the table” helped prepare the 24-year-old outfielder for his new role.

“He has the ability to be a middle-of-the-lineup bat, but he also has an amazing skill set to be able to walk, to get a hit, to impact the score with one swing of the bat,” Fuller said. “Really just set the tone for the rest of the day, set the table for the guys behind you, be a really good at-bat and find a way on base, and he’s been doing a great job.”

This isn’t the first time the 2021 first-round Draft pick has been a leadoff hitter in his pro career. Cowser batted .302 as a leadoff hitter in the Minor Leagues from 2021-23. Last year, he hit .325 (65-for-200) with 12 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs and 35 RBIs from the No. 1 spot for Triple-A Norfolk.

There’s no guarantee a leadoff hitter will bat first in any inning other than the first, but Cowser is making the most of his game-opening plate appearances:

Cowser’s first-inning PAs this week
Monday (Game 1): Eight-pitch walk
Monday (Game 2): Three-pitch home run
Tuesday: Six-pitch single
Wednesday: First-pitch flyout
Thursday: Seven-pitch double
Friday: Two-pitch lineout

“When I’m really going, I’m able to work counts,” Cowser said. “Regardless of the result, having a six-pitch at-bat, I feel like, is really productive at the top spot. Just working counts, working walks, getting on base -- that’s something that I feel like is a strong suit of my game, and I’m able to do that in all different spots of the lineup. But in the leadoff spot, it can really get the guys going.”

Cowser’s hot stretch predates his shift to the leadoff spot. He has recorded a hit in each of the Orioles’ first 15 games out of the All-Star break, a career-long hitting streak that is the best for an O’s rookie since Trey Mancini had a 17-game run from Sept. 11-29, 2017, which is also the Baltimore rookie record.

Interestingly enough, the increased production from Cowser started to come after he swapped out his 33.5-inch bat for a larger 34-inch bat. Although he isn’t swinging the lumber as fast, he’s been making more meaningful contact.

“A little bit heavier, so maybe slowing me down through the zone a little bit,” Cowser said.

Changes in Cowser’s metrics from first half to second half
Average bat speed: 74.1 mph to 73.3 mph
Fast swing rate: 44.2% to 40.6%
Percentage of squared-up swings: 25.2% to 25.5%
Percentage of blasts on swings: 13.3% to 15.1%

“There’s always trade-offs with the choices you make,” Fuller said. “If you are using a bigger bat and maintaining bat speed, you have the opportunity to hit it further. Same thing when the bat speed goes down a little bit, guys who choke up, you have a little bit more barrel control. So it’s finding that happy medium place of being able to still impact the baseball, but being able to do it at consistent angles. And he’s doing a great job.”

With Cowser batting leadoff, Baltimore is able to drop Henderson into a run-producing spot at No. 3 and have either Rutschman or Anthony Santander slot in between the two. Henderson has 28 home runs (tied with Cleveland's José Ramírez for fifth in MLB), but 17 have been solo shots.

For now, manager Brandon Hyde said he’s “riding with it” when filling out his lineup card.

“Colton’s swinging the bat really well. You hit Gunnar at the top to try to get him up as much as possible, but you also like to have guys on base when he’s up as well,” Hyde said. "I don’t know how long or what we’ll do going forward, but right now, both those guys are taking good at-bats.”