One of the most polished college bats in the 2021 MLB Draft is Sam Houston State University centerfielder Colton Cowser. He is currently the tenth-best prospect, according to MLB.com.
Cowser played at Cypress Ranch high school in Cypress, Texas, where he played alongside projected 2021 first-rounder Ty Madden as well as 2019 draft picks J.J. Goss and Matt Thompson. There were scouts who liked Cowser out of high school, but he decided take the collegiate route. The decision to go to Sam Houston is appearing to pay dividends. In 121 games in college, he has a slashline of .352/.455/.596. He has 23 career home runs, 15 in 2021. He is also the only Sam Houston player to play for the U.S. collegiate national team. In a 2019 series against Cuba, he earned MVP honors after batting .438 in six games.
After three seasons at the collegiate level, Cowser has great scouting grades. Listed at 6’3, 195 lbs, Cowser is a left-handed batter and right-handed thrower. His scouting grades (20-80 scale) are as follows; Hit-60, Run-60, Field-55, Power-50, and Arm-50.
Strengths
The hit tool is the most crisp aspect of his game, and he has consistently shown this. Cowser’s lefty swing has been described as pure, and he has a knack for finding the barrel. He has very quick hands which allows him to hit the ball to all fields. He also has a very controlled approach, which is reflected by his 71 walks and only 68 strikeouts at the collegiate level.
Cowser has good speed and he stole 30 bases in 35 attempts across his three seasons at Sam Houston.
Weaknesses
One of his offensive question marks is whether he will be able to consistently hit for power. He has the strength and hitting ability, but he doesn’t have a lot of loft in his swing. However, scouts do believe he can be a 20 homer guy at the big league level. Cowser did have a power surge in 2021, where he hit 15, including a stretch where he hit a long ball in five consecutive games.
Initially, scouts were split on Cowser’s ability to play a good center field, but he has posted plus running times more consistently, which has put some questions to rest. He looked good in center at the collegiate level, but he spent most of his high school career in right field. However, he has good instincts in center, and he has an above average arm.
MLB Comp
Comparisons are an interesting aspect of the scouting process. They give an idea as to how the scouts and experts compare skill-sets between the draft prospect and current MLB players. Cowser has drawn comparisons to a lot of Major Leaguers, but the two most similar are Brandon Nimmo and Bradley Zimmer. Both are lefty-swinging center fielders with good speed and pop. Cowser has a very controlled approach, which is one of Nimmo’s calling cards.
Both Nimmo and Zimmer were first round picks, and Cowser may very well join them on the list of first round center-fielders in the 2021 MLB Draft. Colton Cowser has really good potential and he can be an impact player with his all-around abilities. The 2021 MLB Draft begins Sunday, July 11 and ends Tuesday, July 13.
Players mentioned: Colton Cowser, Ty Madden, Matt Thompson, Brandon Nimmo, Bradley Zimmer
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
