The Baltimore Orioles’ Single-A affiliate, the Aberdeen IronBirds, came into the 2022 season with a new logo and a new roster that is ready to make some noise.
Bolstered by four of the Orioles’ top-30 prospects, including No. 4 prospect Colton Cowser, expectations for some excitement and fun have filled the IronBirds for the start of the season.
Opening the year against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, the IronBirds did not disappoint, as they would sweep the three-game opener and start the year undefeated. Led by Cowser, Aberdeen showed they have moxy.
Cowser would end the series batting .333 and slugging .667 in helping lead Aberdeen. Three of Cowser’s four hits would go for extra bases, including a triple.
Showing plate discipline, he would collect three walks and even steal a base, showing off some speed in the arsenal.
Not to be outdone, the Orioles No. 23 prospect John Rhodes came to play as well. Though he only played in two of the three games, Rhodes would make his mark in a big way.
Having seven official at-bats, collecting two walks, Rhodes would collect six hits to bat .857 for the series. Tallying nine total bases, Rhodes would drive in a team-leading five runs and slug 1.286, proving his bat has arrived in Birdland.
Of course, most of the headlines will go to the top prospects, but first basemen T.T. Bowens made noise this weekend. He opened the series with a 4-for-6 performance that included two doubles and a home run, on the way to batting .500 for the series and slugging .917 with an OBP of .600.
Though undrafted, Bowens will look to make his name known this year with the IronBirds. With the offensive talent surrounding him, he will be able to turn heads with more success like his opening series performance.
Pitching wise, Jensen Elliott was a standout in the series. The six-foot-six 25-year-old righty would pitch one game but would pick up the victory in the process.
Coming in the game out of the bullpen, Elliott would pitch three innings of one-hit, no-run ball, while striking out four across his relief appearance. Holding the opposition to a .100 batting average, he will carry a 0.00 ERA after the first series of the season.
Making another appearance in the opening series was righty, Noah Denoyer. Though he gave up two runs, one earned, in three innings of work, he would strike out eight batters of the nine outs he would collect.
The BlueClaws would bat just .100 against the young Denoyer, but he did show the ability to work around traffic and limit the damage with his arsenal.
As the season progresses, the IronBirds will look for these young players to grow on their early success and make an impact on their way up the ladder.
Aberdeen will welcome the Wilmington Blue Rocks for a six-game series that begins Tuesday night.
Which IronBird stood out to you in the opening series? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter! And, make sure to use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content to show your Birdland swag!
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