BALTIMORE -- Colton Cowser is developing a knack for providing moments of déjà vu.
Remember last month when the Orioles’ center fielder hit walk-off home runs on back-to-back days? (May 24 vs. the Tigers and May 25 vs. the Rays). Well, Cowser is back at it again this week, only on the other side of the game.
After putting on a defensive masterclass in center field on Sunday afternoon, Cowser picked up where he left off during Monday night’s series-opening 8-2 loss to the White Sox at Camden Yards. The 26-year-old robbed a home run in right-center field for the second straight day, this time taking one away from Miguel Vargas to end the bottom of the fifth inning.
Cowser got a great jump -- 1.5 feet in the right direction, per Statcast -- then ran 99 feet and made an exceptional grab while hitting up against the right-center-field wall. Baltimore starter Shane Baz acknowledged he was fortunate after Vargas pounced on an 0-2 four-seam fastball left over the heart of the plate.
“I kind of threw an 0-2 ego heater. Didn’t really get away with it, but got away with it, just because he’s so good out there,” Baz said. “You have a lot of confidence and faith when a ball goes to center and he’s out there. He covers a ton of ground and he’s -- don’t tell him I said this -- very athletic.”
If Cowser’s catch looked familiar, then you probably watched Sunday’s 6-4 loss to the Nationals as he took away a probable homer from Dylan Crews in the fifth. Monday’s defensive gem wasn’t in the exact same spot -- Cowser hit the wall a bit more to the right a day earlier -- but it was a similar type of play.
Does Cowser think robbing a home run is the most fun play to make on a baseball field?
“Yeah, the walk-off felt pretty good though, too,” Cowser said. “They’re both up there.”
Cowser’s cannon arm has also been on display in recent days. On Sunday, he made a remarkable spinning, off-balance throw to nab Washington’s Keibert Ruiz trying to stretch a single into a double to end the sixth inning.
In the eighth inning on Monday, Cowser was unsuccessful in trying to throw out Colson Montgomery at home plate on an RBI single by Randal Grichuk. But Cowser gave it his best effort, uncorking a 96.6 mph laser that was on target.
Although Cowser mostly played corner outfield early in his four-year MLB career, the 2021 first-round Draft pick has continually proven he’s more than capable of handling center this season.
“His ability to go out there, it’s not reckless or careless, but he doesn’t have any fear out there when he’s playing center field, going into the wall, going into the gap, coming in on balls,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “[It’s] his closing speed, and obviously, his arm talent as well. ...
“He’s playing a great center field, and he puts a lot of work into it on his own, especially with [first-base/outfield coach Jason Bourgeois] as well. So, I’m not surprised where he’s at defensively.”
It could even be worthy of award consideration. Cowser was, after all, a finalist for a Gold Glove Award in left field as a rookie in 2024.
“It’s Gold Glove-caliber,” Baz said. “I don’t think that’s ever been questioned.”
Since the beginning of the 2025 season, Cowser has played more center field than any other position. He took over the job after Cedric Mullins was traded to the Mets ahead of last year’s Trade Deadline, and the O’s felt confident in his ability to start there in ‘26.
In case it hasn’t been clear, Cowser has been quite comfortable up the middle.
“It’s something I did, obviously, in the Minor Leagues. I’ve gotten a lot of reps here,” Cowser said. “So yeah, pretty comfortable out there.”
Though Cowser is fielding well, team defense has still been an issue for the Orioles (39-47), who fell to eight games below .500 to match their low-water mark this season.
Monday’s game got away from them in the final two innings, as the White Sox broke a tie with a two-run eighth and then plated four more in the ninth. The O’s got a bit sloppy, and a two-out error by third Blaze Alexander in the ninth -- his fourth in his past five games -- allowed two runs to score.
“We’ve got to clean up the back half of the game defensively, and a lot of other areas,” Albernaz said. “It's more of us just not playing a complete game of baseball. That's keeping me up at night. ... We have to be able to play our game from start to finish and control what we can control, and put pressure on the other team. And being able to convert outs, that's the biggest thing.”