Jase Bowen took the express lane to the real world.
Ten weeks ago, Bowen was at his senior prom, and it was only May 21 when the 18-year-old was strolling across the stage at his Central Catholic graduation.
While most of Bowenโs classmates will be enjoying their summer before taking the next step, Bowen reported Monday for his first day of work.
He will go straight from the preps to the pros with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization after signing a contract with the club, which assigned him to the Gulf Coast League Pirates in their spring-training home of Bradenton, Fla.
Bowen chose the Piratesโ offer against a scholarship to Michigan State, where he had signed to play football and baseball. Both sides continued to court him in recent weeks, and Bowen said as much as he loved football and the program at Michigan State, he couldnโt shake the feeling that professional baseball was where he belonged.
โIt might be weird to say, but I never pictured myself playing in the NFL, but I always pictured myself playing Major League Baseball,โ Bowen said. โI always knew that the longevity of a baseball career would always be in my favor. Itโs best now to go down there healthy.โ
The Pirates drafted Bowen in the 11th round of the MLB draft, at which point Bowen had the choice between playing two college sports for the next three or four years, or going right into a pro career.
Pittsburgh hosted Bowen and his family when their Triple-A team, the Indianapolis Indians, played in Toledo against the Mud Hens, and the team proved willing to offer a bonus above the slotted value.
Bowen and Pittsburgh agreed to a reported $392,500 bonus โ the Pirates had almost $10 million in bonus pool funds โ and his contract also includes a stipend for college.
Further, Bowen said he felt comfortable with the organization, which typically ranks near the bottom of MLB payrolls but devotes extensive resources to international scouting, minor-league development, and analytics.
โI knew from talking to my agent that the Pirates were a team everyone wants to get drafted by because of how much they care about each player,โ Bowen said. โThere are teams I wonโt name that donโt really care about minor-league players because they want to be good now, but the Pirates want to develop you and want you to be the best player you can be.โ
For now, the Pirates plan to develop Bowen, who also played shortstop at Central Catholic (Ohio), as an outfielder.
Bowen was a three-star receiver recruit in football who caught the eye of Michigan Stateโs coaching staff, along with several other Power Five teams in the Midwest. The school agreed to let him play baseball in college, as well, but Bowen said the chance to play professional baseball right out of high school was a โonce-in-a-lifetime opportunity.โ
โNo disrespect for Michigan State or anything, but I just feel like this was the best fit for me and it was the best fit for what I wanted to do. This has been my dream since I was 5 years old,โ he said. โMichigan State is such a classy place, and Iโll always be a Spartan fan. I loved how Coach [Mark] Dantonio handled everything when I signed to be professional.โ
In the matter of one day, Bowen officially was a pro. He woke up early Thursday for a physical, signed when his medical evaluation cleared, then was touring PNC Park just hours later.
The next day came a tearful goodbye with his parents, Ryan and Robin, in the Pittsburgh airport.
Speaking by phone during a layover in Atlanta, Bowen said it all happened so quickly โ but heโs ready to officially jump into his baseball career.
โItโs insane, and Iโve got to start viewing myself differently,โ Bowen said. โIโve got to start handling myself like a professional now. Itโs going to be a good time for me to grow up and mature. Itโs going to be a fun time in Bradenton.โ
The Block News Alliance consists of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Blade of Toledo, Ohio, and television station WDRB in Louisville, Ky. Nicholas Piotrowicz is a reporter for The Blade.
First Published: June 24, 2019, 6:58 p.m.
