Orioles' young outfielder gets honest about second-year regression

Entering play on Saturday, "The Milkman" was hitting just .200/.275/.394 with 16 home runs, 14 stolen bases, 124 strikeouts against just 27 walks, an 86 wRC+, and 0.8 fWAR. Cowser had also played in just 90 games while making two separate stints on the injured list; the 25-year-old was out from March 31 to June 2 with a left thumb fracture, and a concussion took him out of action from August 7 to August 17.

And yet, those weren't the only injuries that Cowser had to deal with this year.

In an exclusive interview with Andy Kotska of The Baltimore Banner, Cowser revealed that when he returned to the team in June, he was dealing with two fractured ribs and played through them. Although undoubtedly playing through pain, the young outfielder refused to use the rib fractures as an excuse.

“Ultimately, when I got back to the point where I was feeling good, I still wasn’t playing very well and still trying to find my way back,” Cowser told Kotska.

Playing through injuries as serious as broken ribs, while admirable, is never a good idea. Most of these physical ailments can easily screw up a player's hitting mechanics, and in the case of a young player like Cowser, it can create bad habits at the plate to make swinging less painful. It's likely that even after the rib fractures healed, Cowser's swing mechanics were out of sorts and plunged him into an extended slump.

Can Cowser rebound next year?

Although the 2025 season was a lost season for Cowser and hindered his development, he still demonstrates considerable upside. In his rookie campaign last year, he impressed many both at the plate and in the field; Cowser slashed .242/.321/.447 with 24 home runs and a 119 wRC+ while being worth 7 Outs Above Average in left field, totaling 3.8 fWAR. He finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting, with New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil narrowly edging him out.

With veterans Cedric Mullins and Ramon Laureano both shipped off at the trade deadline at the end of July, Cowser will have an even bigger role than ever in 2026. The Orioles will turn to him to anchor a young outfield that features another future star in Dylan Beavers.

If Cowser is going to handle that added responsibility, he will need to use 2025 as a learning experience. Even with the injuries and regressed offensive production, both should be kept in mind when he tries to rediscover what made him a great player over the winter.