Michael Bowden Stats & Scouting Report

IP	133
ERA	4.534
WHIP	1.406
BB/9	3.654
SO/9	6.767

Full name Michael Matthew Bowden
Born 09/09/1986 in Winfield, IL
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Waubonsie Valley
Debut 08/30/2008
Drafted in the C-1 round (47th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2005 (signed for $730,000).

View Draft Report

Bowden was making a salary drive a month before the draft, throwing a seven-inning perfect game with 19 strikeouts in front of a slew of scouts. After allowing a three-run homer in his first start of the season, he has surrendered just one earned run since while establishing himself as a solid supplemental first-round pick. Bowden showed consistently good stuff all spring, pitching at 90-92 mph every time out and backing up his fastball with a plus curveball. He also has an advanced changeup for a high school pitcher and a strong frame. Bowden's delivery is a little unorthodox, but he repeats it well and throws strikes. He'll have to refine his location at the next level and should be able to do so. He's a quality athlete--one scouting director clocked him in 4.2 seconds from the right side of the plate to first base--and scouts rave about his makeup.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

All five of Boston's picks in the first and sandwich rounds of the 2005 draft have reached the majors, but while Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz and Jed Lowrie have found long-term roles, Bowden still is looking for his niche. He has nothing left to prove in Triple-A after posting a 3.19 ERA there over the last two seasons, but big league hitters have torched him to the tune of .333/.381/.578. The key for Bowden is pitching downhill. He succeeds when he uses his strong frame and high three-quarters arm angle to keep his pitches down in the zone. He commands his 89-93 mph fastball to both sides of the plate, but it's not a swing-and-miss pitch and is vulnerable if he throws it thigh-high. He had a power curveball in high school but it has regressed, and he now relies more on a fringy slider to give him an offering that breaks away from righthanders. His changeup is better than either of his breaking balls. His long arm action bothers some scouts, though he has cleaned it up a little in recent years. Bowden faces a future as a middle reliever with the Red Sox, but could be a No. 3 or 4 starter if they use him as trade bait. He'll try again to crack the Boston staff in spring training.
Bowden has moved quickly since the Red Sox took him 47th overall in a banner 2005 draft. He finished the season with three straight quality starts in the Triple-A International League and a win over the White Sox in his big league debut, at age 21. Bowden's fastball, curveball and changeup all drew votes as the best in the system. His 89-93 mph fastball plays better than its velocity because of its heavy life and the angle and deception he creates from a high three-quarters slot. His command was good to begin with and improved in 2008. He's fearless and works as hard as anyone in the system. Scouts have quibbled with Bowden's delivery, which was long in the back and short out front. He made nice adjustments in 2008, achieving a straighter line toward the plate and more extension. He could stand to tighten up his curveball, which was more of a power pitch when he was in high school. Bowden has a lower ceiling than the other players on this list, but he's a safe bet with a good chance to become a No. 3 starter. He'll do some fine-tuning in Triple-A until the Red Sox need him.
While most of his fellow pitchers were shellshocked by Lancaster last year, Bowden's fine command allowed him to overcome the dreadful pitching environment. He wasn't as spectacular following a promotion to Portland in mid-May, but he acquitted himself well for a 20-year-old in Double-A. The Rangers could have taken him in the Eric Gagne trade last July, but chose Kason Gabbard instead. Bowden has uncanny feel for pitching, pounding both sides of the plate and commanding the bottom of the strike zone with his low-90s fastball. His curveball has big 12-to-6 break and he throws his changeup with deceptive arm speed. He uses a high arm slot to throw all of his pitches on a steep downhill plane. He's durable and a tough competitor. Bowden needs to get more consistent with his secondary pitches. His offerings all move down in the strike zone, so he may try to add a slider to give him something with lateral break. Scouts have quibbled with his delivery, which is long in back, short in front and reminiscent of former all-star Ken Hill's mechanics. But Bowden repeats it well and never has had any injury problems. Bowden is a workhorse with the ceiling of a No. 3 starter. He'll probably open 2008 in Double-A and move up to Triple-A by the end of the year. The Red Sox don't have any rotation openings, so they may use him as trade bait.
Chosen five picks after Clay Buchholz in the 2005 draft, Bowden pitched with him at two Class A stops in 2006 and showed a similar build, athleticism and stuff. He's not as spectacular as Buchholz, but Bowden has more natural feel for pitching and had an impressive first full season. Bowden sets hitters up and puts them away with his fastball-curveball combination. His two-plane curve is his best pitch, though his low-90s fastball isn't far behind, and he has the best command in the system. Working from a high arm slot, he throws everything downhill. Bowden would have gone higher in the draft if not for his unorthodox delivery, which is long in back and short in front, resembling that of former all-star Ken Hill. The Red Sox had him checked out and found no cause for concern. His main focus on the mound is his changeup, which has some promise, and he may add a slider to give him a pitch with lateral break. Boston has handled Bowden carefully because of his youth but envisions him as a workhorse No. 2 or 3 starter in time. He'll spend most of 2007 in high Class A and has a big league ETA of mid-2009.
Area scouts who followed Bowden as an Illinois high schooler last spring loved him. His highlight was a 19-strikeout perfect game that Red Sox scouting director Jason McLeod called the best prep pitching performance he had ever seen. But when a slew of directors and crosscheckers showed up for his next start, he pitched in the mid-80s. He was just worn out from spending hours the previous day patching holes in the family driveway, an example of his strong makeup and work ethic. Boston took Bowden with the 47th overall pick in June and signed him for $730,000. Outside of that outing, he consistently showed a heavy 92-93 mph fastball. His curveball, one of the best in the 2005 high school ranks, may be an even better pitch. He started to work on a changeup in instructional league, and the Red Sox were encouraged by his progress. He throws strikes but like most young pitchers, he'll have to refine his location. The one red flag some teams had with Bowden was his unorthodox delivery. But after doing extensive video study, Boston concluded that his mechanics work fine for him, he repeats them well and isn't at any risk. He's a quality athlete--one scouting director clocked him in an above-average 4.2 seconds from the right side of the plate to first base--and his strong frame should make him a workhorse. Bowden took it slow in his debut, working just six innings, but could make the jump to low Class A in 2006.

Minor League Top Prospects

Bowden doesn't have the loud tools that some of his Portland teammate flashed, such as Anderson, Bard and Justin Masterson (who left the EL too soon to qualify for this list). Instead, Bowden navigated Double-A in steady fashion, going 9-4, 2.33 in 19 starts before moving on to Triple-A at age 21. He won his first big league start in August. While he's still doesn't have textbook mechanics, Bowden shortened his arm action a bit in the back, which in turn made it easier for him to repeat his delivery. That produced improved command, especially to the bottom of the strike zone, which scouts grade as solid average. Bowden's 89-92 mph fastball, curveball and changeup all rate as average pitches. His delivery adds deception and helps him get a lot of swings and misses. Scouts and managers had a consensus that Bowden profiled as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter, but Beyeler, who managed him, doesn't see why he should be limited. "You look up makeup in the dictionary, and his picture's next to it," Beyeler said. "He has a drive and desire that allow him to get after it every day. That's why he was the No. 1 pitcher in this league the first half of the season."
Bowden combined with Buchholz to form one of the best 1-2 punches in the league. Both were supplemental first-rounders in 2005, and because Bowden is two years younger, some prefer him as a prospect. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder is more physically developed than most 19-year-olds (his age throughout the season) and he shows a lot of moxie on the mound. He throws his fastball on a good downhill plane, sitting at 90-91 mph and reaching 94. His 12-to-6 curveball might be his best pitch and rivals Buchholz'. Bowden has yet to master a third pitch, but he pounds the zone with his fastball and curve and carries his velocity deep into games. Since his high school days, there have been questions about his unorthodox mechanics--his arm action is long in back but short coming forward, and he has some recoil. Because of his delivery and lack of a changeup, there's some sentiment that he could wind up in the bullpen.