Kyle Stowers
Stowers at Stanford in 2018
Baltimore Orioles – No. 28
Outfielder
Born: (1998-01-02) January 2, 1998 (age 26)
El Cajon, California, U.S.
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
MLB debut
June 13, 2022, for the Baltimore Orioles
MLB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Batting average.207
Home runs3
Runs batted in11
Teams

Kyle Jacob Stowers (/ˈstaʊərs/ STOW-ərs;[1] born January 2, 1998) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022.

Amateur career

Stowers attended Christian High School in El Cajon, California, and Stanford University, where he played college baseball for the Stanford Cardinal.[2][3] In 2018, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star.[4] As a junior in 2019, he batted .303 with nine home runs and 39 RBIs over 55 games.[5] He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the second round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[6][7]

Professional career

Stowers made his professional debut with the Aberdeen IronBirds. He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] He started 2021 with Aberdeen before being promoted to the Bowie Baysox.[9] He was later promoted to the Norfolk Tides.[10] Over 124 games between the three teams, he slashed .278/.383/.514 with 27 home runs and 85 RBIs.[11] After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League for the Mesa Solar Sox.[12] Stowers started the season with Triple-A Norfolk.

Stowers made his major-league debut as the starting left fielder batting eighth in an 11–1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on June 13, 2022. His only hit in three at bats was an opposite-field, seventh-inning double off Julian Merryweather that drove in Adley Rutschman with the Orioles' lone run.[13][14] He and Rico Garcia had been promoted from the Norfolk Tides earlier that day as substitutes for Anthony Santander and Keegan Akin who were both placed on the restricted list for having been unvaccinated against COVID-19 at the time.[15] He was removed from the 40-man roster and returned to Norfolk on June 17.[16]

Stowers replaced Brett Phillips on the team's 40-man roster when his contract was selected from the Tides two months later on August 19.[17] His first-ever MLB home run was a two-out 0–2 pitch off Liam Hendriks which he sent to the bleachers in center field in the bottom of the ninth to tie at 3–3 an eventual eleven-inning 4–3 Orioles victory over the Chicago White Sox at Camden Yards six days later on August 25. Two pitches earlier, he had hit what was a potential game-ending foul out down the left-field line which was muffed by Adam Engel.[18]

In 2023, Stowers played in only 14 games for the Orioles, going 2–for–30 (.067) with no home runs or RBI. The rest of his year was spent in the minors, where he missed two months of the season with shoulder inflammation.[19]

In 2024, despite a strong spring training that saw him hit .256 with 7 home runs and 14 RBI, Stowers was optioned to Triple–A Norfolk to begin the year.[20] He surpassed Christian Walker for most career home runs in Orioles minor-league affiliate history with three in a 26–11 away win over the Charlotte Knights on April 3.[21] He also went 4-for-7 with three runs scored and 7 RBI.[22]

References

  1. ^ NCAA Super Regional, June 8-10, 2019, Dudy Noble Field, Starkville, MS, No. 4 Stanford at No. 3 Mississippi State (pronunciation guide on page 12) – Stanford University Baseball. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2022.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Stanford left fielder Kyle Stowers sets sights on national title". January 30, 2019.
  4. ^ "#37 Kyle Stowers - Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  5. ^ "Prospect Profiles: No. 12 overall Kyle Stowers". January 7, 2020.
  6. ^ "Stanford player learned he was drafted during a game". MLB.com.
  7. ^ "Orioles draftee Kyle Stowers enjoying minor leagues with Stanford teammates at his side".
  8. ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season canceled". MLB.com.
  9. ^ "Orioles prospect Kyle Stowers showing prodigious power at Bowie: 'This guy has a chance to be a big player'".
  10. ^ "Stowers back on O's radar after big year". MLB.com.
  11. ^ "Kyle Stowers Proves His Resiliency".
  12. ^ "Home".
  13. ^ Kostka, Andy. "Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah throws six one-hit innings to shut down Orioles, whose bullpen falters again in 11–1 loss," The Baltimore Sun, Monday, June 13, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  14. ^ "Blue Jays' Merryweather leaves game vs. Orioles with left side discomfort," Sportsnet.ca, Monday, June 13, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  15. ^ "Orioles promote Stowers; Akin, Santander on restricted list," The Associated Press (AP), Monday, June 13, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  16. ^ "Orioles' Kyle Stowers: Returned to minors". cbssports.com. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  17. ^ Kubatko, Roch. "Orioles select Stowers' contract and DFA Phillips (plus other moves and notes)," Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), Friday, August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  18. ^ Layton, Jeremy. "White Sox lose in most brutal way imaginable after Adam Engel flub," New York Post, Friday, August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  19. ^ "Kyle Stowers could still have a breakout season if he gets the chance". camdenchat.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  20. ^ "Orioles Reassign Jackson Holliday, Option Heston Kjerstad And Kyle Stowers". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  21. ^ Stanley, John. "Stowers, Kjerstad, Tides Set Numerous Records in Win," Norfolk Tides, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  22. ^ Norfolk Tides at Charlotte Knights, Wednesday, April 3, 2024 (box score) – MiLB.com. Retrieved April 4, 2024.

External links

Baltimore Orioles current roster
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