Colton Cowser’s ninth-inning robbery in Colorado has officially been crowned the top defensive moment of 2026.
The Orioles outfielder took home the Capital One Premier Play of the Year on Wednesday night at the MLB Awards presented by MGM Rewards, with Mets legend David Wright handing over the hardware.
“Looking around this room, there are some incredible defenders amongst us,” Wright said. “Some double-digit Gold Glove winners, and we even have a couple Platinum Glove guys in the house.
But now, the ultimate defensive bragging rights go to the winner of the Capital One Premier Play of the Year. And a lot of the old guys in this room swear they made a play that would’ve taken this award home back in the day.”
The play itself came with Baltimore hanging onto a 2-1 lead over Colorado in the ninth. Troy Johnston opened the frame with a one-out double, moving the tying run into scoring position. Andrew Kittredge then punched out Zac Veen, leaving the Orioles one out from the win before McCarthy launched Kittredge’s 1-0 pitch deep to center and sent the Coors Field crowd rising for what looked like a walk-off homer.
Cowser had other plans.
Statcast listed his starting point at 329 feet from home plate. His season average was 324, but Cowser said he should have been deeper in that spot because of Coors Field’s roomy center field. The average starting distance for center fielders there that season was an MLB-high 338 feet.
“It was one of those plays where if it goes over the fence, it’s a walk-off home run,” Cowser said in an interview with Greg Amsinger while accepting the award. “It stays in the ballpark, it’s game over and we win.
It was kind of all or nothing. I kept my head down, kept running and realized I had a chance.
Closed my eyes and caught it.”
Asked by Amsinger how he might explain the catch to his grandkids one day, Cowser smiled and kept it simple.
“Well, I’m assuming that if it’s when I’m a grandpa, it’s probably going to be - [I’ll] tell them it’s a lot of skill, it was one of the best plays ever made,” Cowser said with a grin.
At the time, teammates called the grab “gutsy” and “incredible,” and it helped lift the Orioles back to .500 as they pushed for a postseason spot in the season’s final month.
“I guess this one was a walk-off for them, or it was a walk-off for us,” Cowser said at the time. “So yeah, I guess you can say that - a walk-off on the road.”
In Other News...
Pete Alonso Gave The Orioles Exactly What They Needed Except This
Pete Alonsos first season in Baltimore gave the Orioles plenty of the production they hoped for when they brought him in, and the recognition followed quickly. He was named to the 2026 All-MLB First Team for the second time, a nod that came after he led the American League in home runs and RBIs and landed among the finalists for the leagues Silver Slugger Award.
For the Orioles, it was the kind of star turn that justified the move and then some, especially after Alonso also picked up Baltimores Most Valuable Oriole Award. The one thing that still hangs over the season, though, is the part every contender eventually has to answer: how much of that individual success can be turned into something bigger when the spotlight gets brightest? [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Offseason May Hinge On Whether Mike Elias Changes Course
The Orioles head into the offseason with a familiar priority and a new layer of urgency: the rotation needs help, and the front office may not want to wait around if there is a chance the sport gets pushed toward a lockout. Under Mike Elias, Baltimore has generally shied away from the top end of the pitching market, preferring shorter-term, lower-risk moves, but the clubs current position makes the need harder to ignore. A deeper staff would give the Orioles more stability as they try to keep pace in the AL East and avoid leaning too heavily on uncertainty on the mound.
Names such as Trevor Rogers, Sonny Gray and Michael King fit the kind of conversation Baltimore has to have this winter, even if each comes with a different price and level of commitment. Rogers offers upside, Gray brings a proven track record, and King would be another arm with recent success who could change the look of the rotation quickly. The question hanging over the Orioles is not whether they need pitching, but whether Elias is willing to stretch beyond his usual comfort zone to get it before the market and the calendar tighten further. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Outfield Uncertainty Could Force A Costly Free Agent Push
The Orioles are still sorting through their outfield picture for next season, and the uncertainty has put them in the market for a proven bat who can help right away. One name that keeps surfacing is Seiya Suzuki, whose all-around profile with the Cubs has made him one of the more attractive free-agent options available. Baltimore has not been shy about the idea of chasing bigger-ticket talent, either, with executive Mike Elias signaling the club has the financial flexibility to go after high-end additions if the fit is right.
Suzuki would not come cheap, and that is where the decision gets tricky for Baltimore. The bidding figure alone would make this a major commitment, and the Orioles would also be weighing the cost beyond the contract itself as other clubs line up for his services. For a team trying to sharpen its roster without compromising the long view, the question is whether the upgrade in the outfield is worth paying a premium to land it. [Read more 🡒]