What are the Twins Getting in Darren Bowen?

[Jamie Cameron]

Darren Bowen is a pitching prospect the Twins received from the Mariners as part of the Jorge Polanco trade on Monday night. What does his first MiLB season tell us? How might the Twins tweak his pitch mix? Let's dig in.

Image courtesy of Chris Estrade/Modesto Nuts

The Twins parted company with their longest tenured player, Jorge Polanco on Monday night in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. Darren Bowen was the pitching prospect portion of the four player return from the Mariners. Who is he? What does he offer as a prospect? Let’s dig in.

Darren Bowen is a right-handed pitcher who was drafted by the Mariners in the 13th round of the 2022 draft out of UNC Pembroke. You might remember the 2022 draft class as one in which the Twins have found considerable success drafting collegiate pitchers from small schools (Cory Lewis and Zebby Matthews, for example). The Twins 13th round pick in 2022 was C.J. Culpepper, who has since ascended to being a top ten prospect in the organization. Sources with the team confirmed that Bowen was an arm the Twins were weighing alongside Culpepper before he was taken by the Mariners later that round in 2022.

At 6’3, 180 lbs, Bowen draws rave reviews for his athleticism. Bowen’s arsenal is headlined by an above average fastball with some interesting characteristics. The pitch sits 92-95 mph. My guess, given their past success with adding velocity, is the Twins feel like they can ensure it sits at the high end of that range. Bowen’s fastball has up to 19 inches of induced vertical break, close to elite vertical movement. I’d bet one of Bowen’s initial developmental goals with the Twins is fastball command, as the pitch will play best at the top of the strike zone.

Bowen’s primary breaking ball is a sweepy slider which he throws 80-84 mph that already grades out as above average. Bowen’s arm slot is such that a sweeper will play well with his fastball, so don’t be surprised if the team tweaks his slider into a full on sweeper and attempts to maximize the horizontal movement it generates.

Additionally, Bowen has a changeup that’s probably fair to deem a developmental pitch currently. It sits 84-87 mph with some tumble but needs refinement in both control and command. Team sources confirmed that the Twins are considering adding a sinker to Bowen’s arsenal. Notable, given that league-wide, the pitch posted its first positive run value in several seasons (DeSclafani and Topa also have sinkers in their pitching repertoires).

So what did this amount to for Bowen his debut professional season in 2023? Bowen pitched in 19 games (15 starts) for the Mariners at Low-A Modesto, accruing 55.2 innings. He managed a 3.88 ERA, 3.08 FIP, struck out 59, walked 25, and surrendered just two home runs. Opposing hitters really struggled to generate consistent hard contact against Bowen. If he can refine his control (10.9 BB%) there’s plenty to be excited about.

Labeling Bowen a ‘throw in’ to this trade does him and the Twins a disservice. He was a calculated acquisition for the team who will likely slot into Twins prospect lists between 20-30. It’s fair to say he carries reliever risk. If the development of a third pitch is successful, I’d expect the Twins to give him a chance to start, if it doesn't, expect the team to be more aggressive with him in the coming seasons. Bowen has the arm talent and under the hood pitch data to be a buzzy industry name on the back of his strong professional debut. That’s exactly the kind of clay you’d target for your development staff to mold.

Research assistance provided by TruMedia

 

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[Karbo]

I just can't get too excited about a kid in the low minors with so few innings pitched. I'll be watching him as he try's to advance, but it looks like a while before anyone can get a real good idea of what he can do,

[tony&rodney]

Gems are all around us and perhaps Bowen becomes a polished one. 

The one thought that comes to mind is that Seattle, Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland, and some others are frequently lauded on multiple baseball platforms for their superior development of pitchers

Are the Twins superior at their development of pitchers in comparison these teams? Bowen came from Seattle.

[Dman]

Looks like the Twins found a good add on in that trade. Watching some of his stuff on video he looks like he has some really good pitches.  Finding that third pitch can be tough, but if he can do it he looks like a fast mover.  He will be an exciting guy to watch. 

[Mike Sixel]

Big fan of the potential here. Nice write-up 

[jishfish]

Joe Doyle knows that Seattle system better than anyone, and I love his analysis, so if he says there could be something there that's good enough for me to be excited.

[JosiahDeBoer]

Super young pitchers without a third pitch are super high risk. I get that. That said, everything I've seen here looks great. Excited about Bowen's potential.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

The Mariners Locked on Podcast were actually pretty high on Bowen,  had him as Mariners top 17 prospect,  Gonzalez #7 (significantly lower than the top #100 ranking).   They say the ball really pops out of his hand,  they are a little concerned about durability with a thin frame, and that he is most likely a 2 pitch pitcher.   He is more than just a flier.  Best comment was,  there is much much more chance higher than non zero that Bowen is the best player in this trade.   

[Jocko87]

2 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Big fan of the potential here. Nice write-up 

Me too, I initially thought he was a throw in but it does seem like much more than that.  Falvey's move is trading for pitchers he thinks are projectable so it would make sense Bowen was more of a target than Disco.  Also love the athleticism component, it should speak to an ability to adjust quickly.  He's already been bouncing back and forth from starter to reliever so maybe just forgo the third pitch and make him an elite reliever prospect.  Options are nice.

[chpettit19]

Will be very interesting to see if they move him directly to the pen or try to keep him as a starter. He's 23 (well technically not for 2 more days) so he's nowhere near young for an A ball pitcher (not old either, but not young). I assume they'd plan to move him to A+ to start the year, or very quickly there after, but it'll be interesting to see if they have him starting or just throw him in the A+ pen and see if he can take off like a rocket through the system by just relying on maxing out his 2 best pitches. Don't have any opinion of my own (shocking, I know!) on what to do with him, but will just be interested to see what they end up doing.

[CCHOF5yearstoolate]

Sure there's a sizeable chance that he doesn't even make AAA and washes out in the next few years.

But at the cost of being a throw-in prospect in a trade, there's a lot to like here. And the Twins have done a really good job developing this kind of college pitcher - a mid-round draft pick where they can unlock velocity. 

[Dman]

5 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

Will be very interesting to see if they move him directly to the pen or try to keep him as a starter. He's 23 (well technically not for 2 more days) so he's nowhere near young for an A ball pitcher (not old either, but not young). I assume they'd plan to move him to A+ to start the year, or very quickly there after, but it'll be interesting to see if they have him starting or just throw him in the A+ pen and see if he can take off like a rocket through the system by just relying on maxing out his 2 best pitches. Don't have any opinion of my own (shocking, I know!) on what to do with him, but will just be interested to see what they end up doing.

I was thinking High A too as they drafted a lot of pitchers in the 2023 draft that will likely need to start at A ball.  Thinking about it longer I also wondered that since he doesn't have that third pitch and is new to the org that they might want to keep him in A ball for a month or so to refine pitches and work on that third pitch at the complex.  Hard to say what they will do, but IMO he fits best at high A since he has good stuff already and it seems like there is more room there to start.

[CCHOF5yearstoolate]

15 minutes ago, Dman said:

I was thinking High A too 

Cedar Rapids is about to have 6 starters from the 2022 draft in Bowen, Kyle Jones, Zebby Matthews, Cory Lewis, CJ Culpepper and Andrew Morris. Pretty interesting!

[dougd]

BPro had him at 13, and the first 11 were position players

[Guest]

"My guess, given their past success with adding velocity, is that the Twins feel like they can ensure it sits at the high end of that range."

6 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

The one thought that comes to mind is that Seattle, ... are frequently lauded on multiple baseball platforms for their superior development of pitchers

Are the Twins superior at their development of pitchers in comparison these teams? Bowen came from Seattle.

Totally agree. I have commented the same on other threads and what I would like to know is: what make the Twins, "the edge of the knife, the tip of the spear, the crack of my a$$", (thank you bill paxton- edge of tomorrow), when it come to adding velocity to pitchers?

[Dman]

2 hours ago, CCHOF5yearstoolate said:

Cedar Rapids is about to have 6 starters from the 2022 draft in Bowen, Kyle Jones, Zebby Matthews, Cory Lewis, CJ Culpepper and Andrew Morris. Pretty interesting!

I have Lewis and Culpeeper moving to AA to start the year next year since Lewis was rock steady and minor league pitcher of the year and Culpepper has two good fastballs and a plethora of other pitches they both seem like they could handle the level change.

I was wondering if they were going to keep Jones in the rotation or move him to the bullpen.  He is older and there might be better starter arms in the mix there this year.  They also might move Hidalgo to the pen since he is two pitch pitcher, but he is young so still time to work on things. Hard to say what the Twins think but those are my thoughts.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

2 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

Will be very interesting to see if they move him directly to the pen or try to keep him as a starter. He's 23 (well technically not for 2 more days) so he's nowhere near young for an A ball pitcher (not old either, but not young). I assume they'd plan to move him to A+ to start the year, or very quickly there after, but it'll be interesting to see if they have him starting or just throw him in the A+ pen and see if he can take off like a rocket through the system by just relying on maxing out his 2 best pitches. Don't have any opinion of my own (shocking, I know!) on what to do with him, but will just be interested to see what they end up doing.

Its either the 2 pitch reliever route,  or likely add a sweeper and keep as a starter.  

[chpettit19]

2 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

Its either the 2 pitch reliever route,  or likely add a sweeper and keep as a starter.  

Doesn't he already throw a sweeper? I don't know enough about his arsenal to know what to call his slider. But I'd think a change would be the more likely 3rd pitch if he's fastball slider now, but I don't know what his slider is really like. But I'd think their belief in his ability to efficiently add a 3rd pitch would be the deciding factor. At 23 he doesn't have a ton of time to tinker with a 3rd pitch. But certainly hope that's what he's working on right now!

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

2 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

Doesn't he already throw a sweeper? I don't know enough about his arsenal to know what to call his slider. But I'd think a change would be the more likely 3rd pitch if he's fastball slider now, but I don't know what his slider is really like. But I'd think their belief in his ability to efficiently add a 3rd pitch would be the deciding factor. At 23 he doesn't have a ton of time to tinker with a 3rd pitch. But certainly hope that's what he's working on right now!

Yes that does appear so.  I thought it would be a curve or changeup.  

[Jamie Cameron]

4 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

Will be very interesting to see if they move him directly to the pen or try to keep him as a starter. He's 23 (well technically not for 2 more days) so he's nowhere near young for an A ball pitcher (not old either, but not young). I assume they'd plan to move him to A+ to start the year, or very quickly there after, but it'll be interesting to see if they have him starting or just throw him in the A+ pen and see if he can take off like a rocket through the system by just relying on maxing out his 2 best pitches. Don't have any opinion of my own (shocking, I know!) on what to do with him, but will just be interested to see what they end up doing.

Not sure of the level, but sure they'll give him a chance to start

[DocBauer]

I feel a little better about him now than initially. Velocity is there, he's got some length and projectability to go with it, and either a decent slider or sweeper in the making.

What troubles me is only pitching at low A after not appearing in 2022. Similar Twins draftees split time and saw A+ at the same time. And a couple have the potential to even begin 2024 at AA.

I never have a problem with a young arm refining or adding a 3rd pitch. Even for a bullpen arm, a 3rd pitch of any decent quality makes a real difference. With his length and build and good velocity, I'm thinking a splitter and junk a straight change maybe? FB/SLIDER-CUTTER and a split might be devastating.

But he just has to be at A+ to begin this next season if there is any real thought of remaining a SP. I mean, 23yo isn't ancient, but level/experience wise he's a half level/season behind the Twins 2022 picks.

I'm kinda thinking to keep him in the CR rotation to give him IP and time to work on that 3rd pitch...again, maybe a splitter...and then move him to the pen mid year-ish. That MIGHT even allow for a AA cup of coffee at the end of the year if things fall in to place.

[ashbury]

Can we please draft every one of Bowen's teammates at UNC Pembroke?  He put up ERAs in the 5's in each of the 3 years he was there, and promptly posted a 3.88 at single-A in his first try.  Looks like that school does a bangup job at recruiting and then leaves a little to be desired on the skills coaching side.  😀

(I keed, I keed.  Sort of .)

[Jamie Cameron]

2 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Can we please draft every one of Bowen's teammates at UNC Pembroke?  He put up ERAs in the 5's in each of the 3 years he was there, and  promptly posted a 3.88 at single-A in his first try.  Looks like that school does a bangup job at recruiting and then leaves a little to be desired on the skills coaching side.  😀

(I keed, I keed.  Sort of .)

So it's funny that you mention that. As a general rule, I think disregarding outcomes for college players is a good way to go (especially pitchers). The offensive environment in college is really bloated.

[jkcarew]

Late bloomer (by today’s standards)…was pretty much a non-prospect in HS. Then to a D2 college.

They should (and probably will) take their time with him. His background and freak athleticism warrants patience. Huge upside for a ‘throw in’…but I don’t expect him to be ready, even in a best-case scenario (at least as a starter) until at least 2026.

[Fatbat]

Don't we have a few 25/26 yo guys that are in “figure it out development mode?”  Give him a couple years and he will be right where Sands/winder/JB are now….. or he could be better than that. Don't sleep on him. 

[jkcarew]

1 hour ago, Jamie Cameron said:

So it's funny that you mention that. As a general rule, I think disregarding outcomes for college players is a good way to go (especially pitchers). The offensive environment in college is really bloated.

Further, this was D2 baseball…quality/consistency of defense, fields, as uneven as the opposition. It’s a completely different environment than 95% of mid-round college drafties. Background is more Nick Anderson than David Festa. Same floor, higher ceiling.

[ashbury]

2 hours ago, Jamie Cameron said:

So it's funny that you mention that. As a general rule, I think disregarding outcomes for college players is a good way to go (especially pitchers). The offensive environment in college is really bloated.

I think disregarding data of almost any kind is a recipe for letting your competitors get a leg up on you.  But properly interpreting data is an art that has to be cultivated - an expert in some other domain can't just walk right in.  You are right that college ball numbers aren't going to be like minor league numbers, and low-level college ball is even trickier.  "Why don't the numbers line up with what my good scout is seeing" is a question worth asking, and whatever answer you get is even more worthy of care.

[Blyleven2011]

On 2/1/2024 at 1:51 PM, CCHOF5yearstoolate said:

Cedar Rapids is about to have 6 starters from the 2022 draft in Bowen, Kyle Jones, Zebby Matthews, Cory Lewis, CJ Culpepper and Andrew Morris. Pretty interesting!

Get your facts right , Lewis will definitely start in AA  , he has nothing left to prove in A ball and FO is moving this group rapidly  but some will fail because of it  , Lewis right now it the best of the lot ...

[CCHOF5yearstoolate]

12 minutes ago, Blyleven2011 said:

Get your facts right , Lewis will definitely start in AA  , he has nothing left to prove in A ball and FO is moving this group rapidly  but some will fail because of it  , Lewis right now it the best of the lot ...

Ooh, an angry little elf coming in late acting like he knows something he can't possible know for a fact.

Going through my profile and pettily disliking all my comments wasn't quite satisfying enough for you, eh?

Grow up.  

[Blyleven2011]

1 minute ago, CCHOF5yearstoolate said:

Ooh, an angry little elf coming in late acting like he knows something he can't possible know for a fact.

Going through my profile and pettily disliking all my comments wasn't quite satisfying enough for you, eh?

Grow up.  

No I'm the jolly green giant  , im disagreeing with your thumbs down to everyone that doesn't deserve it , they are smarter than a fifth grader  and most of the time know what they are talking about  ..  

Your newer to the site and an old saying , if you can't say anything nice about them don't say anything at all ...

If i deserve a thumbs down  , then  okay , but when I don't deserve one I take it personally  and so do others   , so write a quote and  tell me why you disagree  ...