Is this just the small sample size talking, or is there something real brewing down in Miami?
The Orioles are struggling at the moment.
They sit at the bottom of the AL East, tied with the Rays at 6-8 on the year. In particular, the pitching staff is falling apart.
We saw the same issues last year, with a glut of injuries crippling the rotation over the summer and eventually coming back to bite them at the end of the season.
This year is no different, as the Orioles are already dealing with a few too many injuries to the pitching staff. Lefty Trevor Rogers is one of the guys on the IL, as he remains out while recovering from a dislocated kneecap suffered earlier this year.
Rogers was acquired at the trade deadline last summer and was awful in Baltimore, pitching to a 7.11 ERA across 4 starts before being demoted to Triple-A.
In exchange for Rogers, the Orioles shipped post-hype prospects Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby to Miami. The deal was dumped on by Orioles fans at the time, with most seeing it as an overpay to acquire Rogers.
The lefty had been good a few years prior but being so far removed from success wasn’t ideal and things didn’t play out the way Baltimore had hoped.
Former Orioles’ prospect Kyle Stowers is off to a hot start with the Marlins in 2025
In Miami, on the other hand, things are going just fine. Stowers, who had a couple limited chances at the major league level in Baltimore between 2022-2024, has looked good in the early going of 2025.
He’s regularly batting second in the Marlins’ lineup and has looked the part, hitting .256/.385/.395 with a dinger, six RBI, and solid plate discipline.
Most of the advanced stats agree that Stowers’ performance isn’t just a fluke. His 17.9% barrel rate is in the 88th percentile league wide, and he’s doing plenty of damage on contact.
The biggest knock against him is that he’s still striking out just shy of 29% of the time, but if he can figure that piece out he’s going to be just fine.
With Miami’s roster as challenged as it is, he could even wind up in the running for what should be their lone All Star bid. It’ll be Sandy Alcantara’s spot to lose, but if the flamethrower misses any time, Stowers could get a look.
Stowers’ counterpart, Connor Norby, has yet to play for the Marlins in 2025. He’s on the IL dealing with a strained oblique. He was good in limited time with the Fish last fall, hitting .247/.315/.445 with some pop but a ton of strikeouts.
While Norby still has to prove himself, Stowers is well on the way toward doing so. Another couple months of this level of success and he’ll be a regular in Miami’s lineup for the foreseeable future.
