Kansas City Royals: Offseason Prospect Watch, Jonathan Bowlan

In the next edition of the Kansas City Royals Offseason Propect Watch, we are profiling Jonathan Bowlan.

In the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft, the Kansas City Royals selected right handed pitcher and former Memphis Tiger, Jonathan Bowlan. MLB Pipeline has him listed as the 24th best prospect in the Royals’ organization, and they predict he will hit the majors in the 2021 season. His dad, Mark Bowlan, was a pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system long ago.

Getting to the Grades

He is graded out as a 45 player overall. MLB Pipeline grades his fastball as his strongest pitch, at a 60 grade. That’s followed by his slider at 55, and his changeup and control at 50.

He grades out at above average on two of his pitches, which is pretty darn good for a guy who hurled in the rookie leagues in 2018.

2018 Season Statistics

Bowlan spent the end of 2018 season with the Idaho Falls Chukars. The starter went 1-4 with a 6.94 through his nine appearances. He pitched 35 innings overall, gave up 51 hits, six home runs, walked nine, and struck out 23.

He held batters to a .329 average in his small sample size of starts and tallied a WHIP of 1.71. It’s high, I know. But again, it’s a small sample size in his first taste of professional baseball. There is no need to worry yet about the 58th overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft.

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report

MLB Pipeline mentions the fact that Bowlan bulked up in college, adding on 50 pounds. This was vital in helping strengthen his pitches. His fastball peaks at 97, but he averages 91-94 MPH. His slider has also been a strong pitch for him, but it isn’t as consistent.

He is a starter for now, but it’s possible he could shift to a middle innings relief role. He has the potential to eat up multiple innings in mid-game situations, which will make him a great bullpen asset in the future if he transitions from a starting to relief role.