Married his wife, Claire, in January 2026 after proposing in September 2025...Enjoys photography and has an Instagram where he shares his photos: @cowzcam...Was getting food with Henderson when Gunnar was called up to the Majors in 2022…Colton ordered him two bacon cheeseburgers to go and made sure they got to him safely. Attended Sam Houston State University (Texas) and was the highest draft pick in school history (No. 5 overall)…Became the second first-round selection in school history along with DET's Glenn Wilson (No. 18 overall) in 1980...The Astros selected Walker Janek (No. 28 overall) in 2024...As a junior in 2021, named the Southland Conference (SLC) Player of the Year, becoming the second player in program history to earn the honor...Became the first Bearkat in program history to be named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, in addition to being named SLC Player of the Year, to the preseason All-SLC First Team, Baseball America preseason All-American First Team, Perfect Game preseason All-American Second Team and Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award preseason watch list...Earned SLC Hitter of the Year as a freshman in 2019.
2025
Hit .196/.269/.385 (64-for-327) with 14 doubles, 16 home runs, 36 runs, 40 RBI, 27 walks (1 IBB), six hit-by-pitches and 14 steals in 92 games…Appeared in center field (47 G), left field (43 G), right field (three G), and designated hitter (one G)...Appeared on his second career Opening Day roster...On 3/31, placed on the 10-day Injured List (left thumb fracture) and transferred to the 60-day IL on 4/28…Activated on 6/2…On the 7-day concussion IL from 8/8-16...Joined MIN’s Byron Buxton (24 SB) as the only players in MLB to steal 14+ bases without being caught....His six Defensive Runs Saved were second most on the team behind Adley Rutschman (10 DRS)...On 6/7 at ATH, hit the furthest homer of his career (455 ft.) off Luis Severino...On 6/27 vs. TB, went 3-for-4 with three doubles, four runs, two RBI, and two walks...The three doubles, four runs and five times on base each set career highs…Joined Ramón Laureano (6/30 at TEX) as the only Orioles to record a three-double game in 2025 and became the second player in franchise history (since 1954) to record three doubles and two walks in a game, joining Jack Voigt on 8/6/93 vs. CLE.
2024
Spent the entire season on the big league roster after making his first Opening Day roster...Slashed .242/.321/.447 (121-for-499) with 24 doubles, three triples, 24 home runs, 77 runs scored, 69 RBI, 52 walks, seven hit-by-pitches and nine stolen bases in 153 games...Voted AL Outstanding Rookie by fellow players; marks the third Oriole in four years to earn the honor, joining Gunnar Henderson (2023) and Ryan Mountcastle (2021)...Finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, five points behind New York-AL's Luis Gil...Joins Gunnar Henderson (first, 2023) and Adley Rutschman (second, 2022) as Orioles who have won or finished runner up in the BBWAA AL Rookie of the Year voting the last three seasons...Was a finalist for the left field AL Gold Glove Award, along with Cleveland's Steven Kwan and New York-AL's Alex Verdugo...Led AL rookies and ranked third among MLB rookies with 4.0 fWAR...Paced AL rookies and tied for the MLB rookie lead in home runs with San Diego's Jackson Merrill...Is the third Oriole rookie in the last four seasons to hold the MLB rookie homer title, joining Gunnar Henderson (28, 2023) and Mountcastle (33, 2021)...Is the 10th rookie in O’s history with 20 homers (last: Henderson, 2023) and the ninth with 20+ doubles and 20+ homers (last: Henderson, 2023)...Ranked among AL rookies in runs scored (first), total bases (first, 223), extra-base hits (first, 51), slugging percentage (second), walks (second), doubles (third), RBI (third), OPS (third, .768) and hits (fifth)...Hit his first two MLB home runs on April 11 at Boston, a solo blast off Garrett Whitlock in the fifth inning and a three-run shot in the 10th inning off Isaiah Campbell...Became the seventh player since the team moved to Baltimore in 1954 to hit his first two career home runs in the same game, and first since Ryan Mountcastle on Aug. 30, 2020 at Toronto’s Sahlen Field in Buffalo...Also became the first O’s rookie to homer in extra innings since Austin Hays hit an inside-the-parker in the top of the 10th on Aug. 11, 2020 at Philadelphia...Tallied 10 RBI in a three-game series from April 9-11 at Boston, the most by an Oriole at Fenway Park in team history...According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, he became the seventh player since RBI became an official statistic in 1920 to drive in at least 10 runs in a three-game series (or shorter) as a visitor at Fenway, joining Reggie Jackson (15 RBI in 1969), Vic Wertz (12 RBI in a two-game series in 1957), Junior Felix (11 RBI in 1989), Raimel Tapia (10 RBI in 2022), Giancarlo Stanton (10 RBI in 2021) and Jose Canseco (10 RBI in 1994)...Launched a go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning of a tie game on June 12 vs. Atlanta after entering as a defensive replacement in the top half of the inning...Recorded a hit in a career-high 17 straight games from July 19 to Aug. 4; marked the longest hitting streak by an Oriole since Austin Hays in 2021 (also 17, Aug. 24-Sept. 11) and tied for the longest by an O’s rookie with Trey Mancini in 2017 (also 17, Sept. 11-29)...Hit two home runs in a game at home for the first time in his career on Sept. 20 vs. Detroit...Batted .400/.429/.800 (18-for-45) in the first 17 games through April 17, .180/.281/.336 (38-for-211) in the next 71 games through July 14, then .267/.337/.477 (65-for-243) in his final 65 games after the All-Star break...Hit 12 home runs after the break, leading AL rookies...Launched two career leadoff home runs on July 29 (G2) vs. Toronto (off Bowden Francis) and Aug. 9 at Tampa Bay (off Zack Littell)...Hit back-to-back home runs with Jordan Westburg on April 21 at Kansas City and James McCann on June 25 vs. Cleveland...Slashed .284/.358/.527 (78-for-275) with 15 home runs against the starting pitcher and .192/.276/.348 (43-for-224) with nine homers against relievers...Led the Orioles with 11 outs above average, per Statcast; eight of those have come in left field, second-most in MLB behind Toronto's Daulton Varsho (10)...Made his postseason debut in Game 1 of the ALWCS vs. Kansas City on Oct. 1; collected his first playoff hit in the second inning, a single off Cole Ragans...Finished 1-for-7 in the series, starting both games in left field...Was hit in the left hand in the fifth inning of Game 2 on Oct. 2; was replaced in the top of the seventh inning and tests later revealed a fracture...Had surgery on Oct. 15, performed by Dr. Donald Sheridan in Phoenix, Ariz.
2023
Slashed .115/.286/.148 with two doubles, 15 runs, four RBI, 13 walks and one stolen base in 26 games with the O’s...Had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk and made his MLB debut on 7/5 at NYY. Collected his first hit and RBI on a single in the sixth inning. Was one of six O's to make their MLB debut in 2023 (also: Kjerstad, Ortiz, Rodriguez, Vallimont, Westburg)...Hit the game-winning RBI double in the ninth inning on 7/24 at PHI. Marked his first career extra-base hit...Notched his first game-winning RBI with a sac fly in the 10th inning on 7/20 at TB...Scored a run in his first eight career games, longest such streak in O’s history (since 1954) and the first MLB player to do since FLA’s Kevin Millar in 1998-99...Named MVP of the Triple-A National Championship Game after going 2-for-4 and hitting the go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning...Named a Triple-A Post-Season All-Star. Named International League Player of the Week on 4/23 and 5/15...Did not appear on Baltimore's ALDS roster.
2022
Split his first full professional season between High-A Aberdeen, Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk, combining to slash .278/.406/.469 (142-for-510) with 36 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs, 114 runs scored, 66 RBI and 18 stolen bases across the three levels...Led O's Minor Leaguers in runs and walks (94), ranked second in doubles, third in hits and extra-base hits (57), tied for third in homers, fourth in on-base percentage and total bases (239), fifth in OPS (.875), seventh in RBI and slugging percentage, and eighth in batting average and stolen bases...Began the year with Aberdeen, appearing in 62 games...Promoted to Bowie on 6/28; belted two home runs on 7/14 (G2) vs. Akron for his first professional multi-homer game...Had two four-hit games for the Baysox on 8/7 at Harrisburg and 8/25 vs. Altoona...Promoted to Norfolk on 8/29 and finished the season appearing in 27 games with the Tides...Finished the year ranked as the No. 4 Orioles prospect and the No. 40 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline...Enters 2023 as the No. 4 Orioles prospect, according to Baseball America and MLB Pipeline; ranked as the No. 40 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 41 overall by Baseball America.
2021
Made his professional debut with the FCL Orioles before earning a promotion to Low-A Delmarva, where he finished the season slashing .347/.476/.429 (34-for-98) with five doubles, one home run, 22 runs scored, 26 RBI, four stolen bases, and 22 walks to 19 strikeouts in 25 games...Participated in the team's Fall Instructional League camp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla...Ranked as the No. 5 Orioles prospect and the No. 98 overall prospect according to Baseball America.
