Yankees’ Ben Cowles Alters Routine And Sees Results
At least so far, the impact of the Yankees’ 2021 draft class has been felt more in terms of who it has netted them in trades.
Perhaps 24-year-old shortstop Ben Cowles will be the one to change that.
The Yankees have traded six of their top nine picks from 2021, including first-rounder Trey Sweeney, fourth-rounder Cooper Bowman and emerging ninth-rounder Chandler Champlain.
Of those drafted in the first two days, only Brock Selvidge, Tyler Hardman, Will Warren and Cowles remain in the organization. While the righthander Warren got the majority of the attention this spring, it is Cowles, a 10th-rounder from Maryland, who remains on a steady track to the big leagues.
The 6-foot, 180-pound Cowles has had a breakout start at Double-A Somerset. Through 43 games, he hit .320/.406/.527 with four home runs.
According to Cowles, his brief stint at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last year, where he was sent for the last week of the season, showed him the adjustments necessary for the higher levels.
“Just being able to experience that firsthand, where it was like, ‘Wow, my swing doesn’t play here. I have to change something.’ Going through those struggles helped me out a lot,” Cowles said.
“I got the chance to talk to the Triple-A guys, and we went through my routine and things I could get better at. And I took that new routine and took it to the (Arizona) Fall League, and it worked out pretty well.”
Primarily a shortstop, Cowles has also played second base and third base this season, just as he did in the AFL last year. That versatility could help make him a priority callup if the Yankees need emergency infield help.
