Ben Bowden was the second Vanderbilt player to be drafted on Thursday night. The Colorado Rockies selected the Commodores' Swiss Army knife of a pitcher with the 45th pick of the 2016 MLB Draft.
Bowden pitched wherever Tim Corbin needed him this spring. He made five starts but also saw action in 19 other games out of the bullpen and recorded 10 saves as the team's closer after the 'Dores faced relief problems early in the season. The overpowering lefty had a relatively high 3.51 ERA, but his nutty strikeout numbers (65 Ks in 48.1 innings) and developing change-up/slider combination make him a high-upside pick. MLB TV analyst Harold Reynolds pegs the Vandy reliever as his bet to be the first 2016 draftee to make it to the big leagues.
The Lynn, Massachusetts native made a major statement last summer by dominating the Cape Cod summer league. Bowden finished his stint on the east coast with an insane 0.30 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 30 innings.