Newest Twins Pitcher, Darren Bowen, Excited to Join Twins, Get to Work (Twins Spotlight Video)

On Monday afternoon in Arizona, right-handed pitcher Darren Bowen was playing a round of golf with some fellow Mariners pitching prospects who were in town for a camp. On the 18th hole, Bowen’s phone was ringing in the cart. He walked over to it, saw the name of the person calling, looked up at his teammates, and said, “I definitely just got traded.” 

His buddies laughed and said he was not getting traded. 

He answered. On the other end of the phone call was Andy McKay, the Mariners assistant GM. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Bowen asked, “Where am I going?”

More chuckling before McKay said, “We’re sending you to Minnesota in the (Jorge) Polanco trade.” 

Over the next 10-15 minutes, he estimates that as many as 10 people from the Twins called to congratulate him and let him know they were excited to have him. 

Bowen’s first phone call went to his girlfriend. After telling her that he had been traded, she told him she had already arranged to fly to Arizona to surprise him for his birthday this weekend. She wasn’t sure if he was messing with her. Ultimately, he was not. 

The Twins gave him the option of going home until the start of spring training or coming straight to Fort Myers. He thought, “I’m already building up. I’m going to get way more out of it. I’m going to learn more about you guys. You guys are going to learn more about me if I’m down there.”

On Wednesday, he flew to Fort Myers, and on Thursday, he went through his first day of work in the Twins organization.  

In our conversation, Bowen said that he heard a lot from the Twins area scout in North Carolina, Ty Dawson, before and even during the draft. Since the trade, some have reported that the Twins were very interested in drafting Bowen on Day 3 of the 2022 draft. 

So, what’s to like? The short answer is, “A lot!” 

One of the first things you notice when watching Bowen pitch is his tremendous athleticism. He currently stands about 6-3 tall and is a lean 183 pounds, though, in college, he was closer to 170 pounds. He also is very competitive. Bowen has some exciting pitches. In the video above, he goes through his pitches and provides velocity ranges, movement, and other analytical data. There was a feeling that he had the potential for growth and development. He was an intriguing prospect from a small town and made good at a Division II college. What could he do working under a player/pitcher development system as advanced as the Twins (and the Mariners)? Bowen is interested in the analysis. He’s excited to work on some mechanical things he had not done while with the Mariners. He wants to take in and use as much of that information as possible to succeed.  

Some that I’ve talked to about Bowen have referenced his “unwavering work ethic” and “determination to excel.” There is a strong self-confidence with Bowen that he can get anyone out, and the example he used was falling behind on a great college hitter 3-0 and then striking him out on three fastballs over the plate. He understands that filling up the strike zone is a good thing. 

You’ll enjoy watching and listening to the Twins Spotlight video with Darren Bowen. Take a listen and leave your comments. Feel free to ask Darren questions, and maybe he’ll even reply. If not, wish him a Happy Birthday!  

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!