Player of the Week Spotlight: Orioles' Colton Cowser

Colton Cowser isn't just knocking on the door to the bigs, he's dismantling it.

For the second time in the first six weeks of the season, MLB's No. 31 overall prospect was named Minor League Player of the Week in the International League. Highlighted by his second multihomer performance of the year and a pair of three-hit games for Triple-A Norfolk from May 8-14, Cowser feasted on Jacksonville pitching, slashing .500/.613/.864 with four extra-base hits, two homers and eight RBIs in six games.

The 23-year-old scored 11 runs and walked eight times to extend his scorching start to 2023. Cowser is batting .336 with a 1.044 OPS, 16 extra-base hits -- including seven homers -- and 28 RBIs in 36 games for the Tides, who are off to a strong start like their parent club.

"Feeling good. Still early on, really just trying to fine-tune the approach," Cowser told MLB Tonight's Harold Reynolds. "Things are starting to click and we're playing a lot of winning baseball so it's a lot of fun. Winning has been contagious. Last year we had a lot of success in the Minor Leagues and at the Major League level. This year has been the same thing."

Cowser, who is one of eight Orioles ranked among baseball's Top 100 prospects, has been an offensive force since he debuted in 2021. The Houston native was the fifth overall pick in the 2021 Draft out of Sam Houston, where he took home Southland Conference Player of the Year honors during his junior season, his last as an amateur.

Cowser became just the second Bearkat to be taken in the first round of the Draft. Glenn Wilson went 18th overall to the Tigers back in 1980.

But the No. 3 Orioles prospect he has his eyes on something much bigger than his collegiate success, joining the likes of fellow youngsters Gunnar Henderson and Joey Ortiz in Charm City. Since he debuted two years ago, Cowser sports a .304/.432/.490 slash line and hit a career-high 19 homers last year across three Minor League levels.

"Just trying to worry about my business here right now," Cowser told Reynolds. "I think those things will take care of itself down the road. I'm just trying to worry about the day-to-day stuff, so ... just controlling what I can control."