NORFOLK, Va. — In the bottom of the first inning Sunday against Charlotte, Tides outfielder Kyle Stowers cleared the outfield wall for the 53rd time. It's officially the most home runs in Norfolk Tides franchise history breaking the record set by Gary Rajsich in the 1980's.
"It's a sign that in my time here I've performed well. I think, to me that's the standard I try to hold myself to no matter where I'm at, perform to the best of my abilities and try to impact baseball games," says Stowers, standing on the Harbor Park backstop. Behind him players carry on as usual for gamedays.
A small part of that quote stands out in observing the uniqueness of a minor league career record.
"No matter where I'm at," said Stowers. It's interesting in that every player on the roster aims to be somewhere else, specifically in the major leagues. It's likely that few are as close as Stowers, who has had multiple stretches in Baltimore. Just last month he batted .286 over 17 games with the Orioles.
Top prospects in the O's organization these days are held to an even higher standard, especially in the outfield. After years of high draft picks, Baltimore is absolutely loaded at the skill positions. Players like Coby Mayo, Heston Kjerstad, Connor Norby, Jackson Holliday and Stowers have all shown big league talent while waiting for opportunities. Each have left an indelible mark on the Norfolk franchise, like the all time home run record, but each aims to leave their mark at the highest level above all else.
"I think we're competitive, we all want to be up in the big leagues, we all want to help that team win. We also understand that there's a lot of good players. It brings the best out of us in a way because it's a high standard," says Stowers, who is now officially setting those standards.