What Are the Twins Getting in Darren Bowen?

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?

Bowen, 23, 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 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 was C.J. Culpepper, who has since ascended to being a top-10 prospect in the organization. Sources with the team confirmed that Bowen was an arm the Twins were weighing alongside Culpepper, before the Mariners nabbed him later in that round.

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 that the Twins feel like they can ensure it sits at the high end of that range. The Mariners' performance department felt, based on data and testing done in their lab, that Bower was the best athlete in their system, pitcher or position player. His 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 and which 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, or building out the nascent one he has. That's notable, given that league-wide, the pitch posted its first positive run value in several seasons. (Anthony DeSclafani and Justin Topa also have sinkers in their pitching repertoires.)

So what did this amount to for Bowen in his debut professional season? He pitched in 19 games (15 starts) for the Mariners at Low-A Modesto, accruing 55 2/3 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% walk rate), 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 somewhere between 20 and 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

Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!