Catching Up With Colton Cowser
Since being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 First-Year Player Draft, Colton Cowser has not slowed down. Through his first 11 professional games – seven with the Florida Complex League and four with High-A Delmarva – Cowser batted .405 (15-for-37) with five doubles, a home run, and 11 RBI.
He recently took a break from his hot streak, and defending WhataBurger, to sit down with Geoff Arnold and Brett Hollander to discuss his start to professional baseball, which included hitting a home run in his first-career at-bat, his mindset at the plate, and what he treated himself to after signing his Major League contract.
“I hadn’t seen a live pitch in two and a half months,” said Cowser. “So I was just trying to be a little slow in the box and get my swing off. I was fortunate to do that and see some good pitches to hit.”
Cowser describes his approach at the plate as, “patient, but aggressive,” not swinging at anything outside the zone, but being aggressive on pitches inside the zone. He says he really started to develop that as a freshman in college, but it was shaped by his experience of having Sid Holland as a coach growing up.
“Sid’s someone I’ve hit with since I was eight years old,” said Cowser. “His son and I were best friends, we grew up playing together. He played professional baseball and always told me what it was about. He just tried to mold me into a professional hitter, not just a one-side, one dimensional hitter. I think that’s something I’ve done my whole life, and will continue to do.”
In his first game with High-A Delmarva, Cowser was a part of a lineup that featured all 2020 and 2021 First-Year Draft Picks. The trio discusses that experience and Coswer tells his first impression of Coby Mayo, the Orioles fourth round pick in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft.
“We have a great group out here,” said Cowser. “I think what really helped us get off on the right foot is that we did get to go down to Florida all together. It was really cool for us all to come up and start playing at the same time. We have great chemistry and we are just trying to go out there and have fun and make the most of it. We are a really carefree group right now and just feeding off each other. I think [Coby Mayo] was the only high school kid in the lineup and he’s kind of a freak when you look at him. He’s a large man.”
Cowser also talks about what he is hoping to accomplish as his first taste of professional baseball comes to an end.
“I really haven’t thought about too many goals right now,” said Cowser. “The biggest thing for me is to just go out there and have fun with the group of guys that we have. The numbers will take care of themselves. I’m not too number oriented. It’s all about the experience and how much fun you’re having.”
Lastly, they have to ask, has Cowser treated himself to anything yet?
“Everyone keeps asking me that,” said Cowser. “But no, I haven’t really done anything yet. The only thing I really have done is get a pair of sunglasses. But I wore them the whole way on the drive up from Florida.”
They finish with their “Fun Five” asking Cowser his favorite baseball movie, high school senior year batting average, the most influential baseball person in his life, how his first-grade teacher would describe him, and any talents or hobbies he has outside of baseball.
“I can ride a unicycle,” said Cowser. “In middle school one of my friends had one and he taught me how to ride it. I ended up getting one, but I grew out of it and haven’t ridden one in a while, but I think it’s just like riding a bike, am I right?”
You can listen to the episode above or wherever you stream podcasts.