Twins fans want guys who want to be here. And after losing fan favorite Jorge Polanco on Monday night in a long-developing trade with the Mariners, they needed as many doses of positivity as they could get.
Enter Darren Bowen, the helium alert pitching prospect who's following Gabriel Gonzalez to Minnesota in exchange for their clubhouse leader. Gonzalez might be the purported prize of the deal (MLB Pipeline's No. 79 overall prospect, just outside Baseball America's Top 100), but Bowen is a riser in his own right.
The 13th-round righty in 2022 comes power packed with a 97 MPH fastball as his calling card, and though his secondary pitches are reportedly still in development, that's a pretty solid place to start, whether his future is in the rotation or the late innings.
He also brings enthusiasm to the table. Born in Newton, MA and schooled at UNC Pembroke, Bowen is now extra excited to call the Twin Cities home.
Thank you @mariners for drafting a kid from Rob Co and letting me start my dream. Super excited to get going with the @Twins LETS ROCK!
— Darren Bowen (@darren_cb1) January 30, 2024
Twins pitching prospect Darren Bowen ready to rock in Minnesota
Aw, man. He missed TwinsFest by a few days. That could've been a great opportunity for him to get acquainted with midwestern kindness.
The 22-year-old righty spent all of 2023 at Modesto, and will likely bring his particular brand of whippy wizardry to High-A Cedar Rapids this summer.
Ultimately, Anthony DeSclafani will be in the Twins' rotation and Justin Topa should be in their Opening Day bullpen. Gonzalez will be the more hyped prospect, and will get an early shot at Double-A. But don't lose Bowen in the shuffle. If he comes from Seattle's lanky pitching pipeline, he's likely got some prized traits -- as well as a winning attitude.