Matt Bowman Bio
Matthew Chou Bowman (born May 31, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has pitched in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, and Baltimore Orioles, and has spent time in several other organizations at the Triple-A level. A right-handed reliever, Bowman is best known for a journeyman career built around relief work, multiple minor league contracts, and frequent opt-out moves that have carried him across the majors.
Early Life and Background
Matthew Chou Bowman grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where he developed into a two-way player as a teenager. He attended St. Albans School in Washington, D.C., and starred on the baseball team as both a shortstop and a right-handed pitcher. As a senior, Bowman was named All-Met Player of the Year and earned All-Conference honors, posting a 0.70 ERA on the mound while batting .419 at the plate.
His dual-threat skill set helped him earn a spot at Princeton University, where he played college baseball for the Princeton Tigers from 2010 to 2012. Bowman served as both a pitcher and shortstop for the Tigers and was named second-team All-Ivy League at shortstop as a sophomore. In 2012, his junior season, he went 4–2 with a 4.66 ERA in nine starts while also batting .308 with one home run in 33 games.
Bowman’s college profile showed a power arsenal, with a fastball that sat in the low-90s and reached as high as 95 mph, along with a hard slider, a curveball, and a changeup. During the summers in college, he played shortstop for the Bethesda Big Train in a regional wooden-bat league, sharpening his defensive instincts.
Path to Professional Baseball
After his junior season at Princeton, Bowman entered the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, where the New York Mets selected him in the 13th round. He made his professional debut that same year with the Brooklyn Cyclones and posted a 2.45 ERA across 29 and one-third innings pitched, giving the Mets a glimpse of his strike-throwing ability.
Bowman opened 2013 with the Savannah Sand Gnats and earned a midseason promotion to the St. Lucie Mets. Over 21 starts, he went 10–4 with a 3.05 ERA and 116 strikeouts, cementing his status as a legitimate starting pitcher prospect. He split 2014 between the Binghamton Mets and the Las Vegas 51s, going 10–8 with a 3.21 ERA in 24 games, and returned to Las Vegas in 2015, when he struggled to a 7–16 record and a 5.53 ERA.
Matt Bowman Career
Early Career (2016–2018)
The St. Louis Cardinals selected Bowman in the 2015 Rule 5 draft, giving him an unexpected path to the major leagues. He made his MLB debut on April 6, 2016, against the Pittsburgh Pirates, throwing two innings and allowing one hit with two strikeouts. Bowman earned his first MLB win on June 8, 2016, in relief against the Cincinnati Reds, and finished his rookie year at 2–5 with a 3.46 ERA.
In 2017, Bowman settled into a middle-relief role and went 3–6 with two saves and a 3.99 ERA in 58 and two-thirds innings. The 2018 season proved more difficult: he posted a 5.75 ERA in 20 and one-third innings with two stints on the disabled list before being optioned to Triple-A Memphis. Across 22 relief appearances with St. Louis, he finished 0–2 with a 6.26 ERA.
St. Louis Cardinals Era (2016–2018)
Bowman’s Cardinals years showcased his transition from minor league starter to full-time major league reliever. The Rule 5 pick became a trusted arm out of the bullpen in 2016 and 2017, leaning on a low-90s fastball and a sharp breaking ball to record outs in tight situations. By 2018, however, the Cardinals shuffled their relief corps, and Bowman bounced between St. Louis and Memphis before being claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds on November 2, 2018.
Cincinnati Reds (2019)
Bowman began 2019 with the Louisville Bats and was promoted to the Reds in May. His time in Cincinnati was brief, as injuries soon intervened, including Tommy John surgery in mid-September 2020. On October 14, 2020, Cincinnati outrighted him off the roster, and he elected free agency two days later.
New York Yankees (2020–2023)
On December 14, 2020, Bowman signed a two-year minor league contract with the New York Yankees. He did not pitch in 2021 or 2022 as he recovered from surgery, then elected free agency on November 10, 2022. He re-signed with the Yankees on a minor league deal in January 2023 and pitched for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, logging a 3.29 ERA with 36 strikeouts and 3 saves in 38 and one-third innings before exercising an opt-out clause in July.
After a brief release, Bowman re-signed with the Yankees on a major league contract in July 2023 and was optioned back to Triple-A. The Yankees promoted him to the majors on September 10, and he allowed four runs on six hits with three strikeouts in four innings across three games. Following the season, he was removed from the 40-man roster and elected free agency on November 6.
Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Seattle Mariners (2024)
On January 18, 2024, Bowman signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins. He made five scoreless appearances for the Triple-A St. Paul Saints before having his contract selected on April 13. In five appearances with Minnesota, he posted a 2.35 ERA with 6 strikeouts in 7 and two-thirds innings before being designated for assignment on April 30. He was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash on May 2, where he struggled to an 8.10 ERA in four appearances and was designated for assignment on May 26.
After rejecting an outright assignment, Bowman signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners on June 4, 2024. He appeared in one game for Seattle before being designated for assignment on June 11, then re-signed on a new minor league contract two days later. He compiled a 3.60 ERA with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers before exercising an opt-out clause on July 1. He briefly returned to the Twins organization in July, but was released after another opt-out on August 12.
Baltimore Orioles (2024–2025)
Bowman signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles on August 15, 2024, and reached the majors on August 22. In 15 appearances, he posted a 3.45 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 15 and two-thirds innings before being removed from the 40-man roster in November and electing free agency. He re-signed with Baltimore on December 20, 2024.
The 2025 season was a revolving door of transactions. Bowman was selected, designated for assignment, outrighted, and re-selected multiple times between March and August. In 16 appearances for Baltimore, he recorded a 5.19 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 17 and one-third innings. His final stretch included brief stints following injuries to Albert Suárez and Brandon Young, but he was released by the Orioles on August 29.
Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins Returns (2025–2026)
On August 30, 2025, Bowman signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros and made nine appearances (one start) for the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, going 2–2 with a 3.48 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 10 and one-third innings. He elected free agency on November 6. On January 26, 2026, he signed a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins, was released after an opt-out, and re-signed on March 25. With the St. Paul Saints, he went 1–1 with a 1.69 ERA, 25 strikeouts, and three saves in 21 and one-third innings before being released on May 20. On May 26, 2026, he signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays organization.
Driving Style and Strengths
Bowman works as a right-handed reliever, relying on a low-90s fastball that can reach the mid-90s, a hard slider, a curveball, and a changeup. He is known for his control and pitchability, and he has built a long career by bouncing between the majors and Triple-A, taking advantage of opt-out clauses. His ability to throw strikes and adapt to relief roles has kept him in demand across many organizations.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the most memorable moments of Bowman’s career came on April 6, 2016, when he made his MLB debut for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He notched his first major league win in relief of the Cincinnati Reds on June 8, 2016, and later authored a strong 15-appearance stretch with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024, posting a 3.45 ERA. His repeated selection and release cycle with the Orioles in 2025 became a defining storyline of his later years.
Matt Bowman Career Wins
Matthew Chou Bowman has compiled an 8–14 win–loss record with a 4.38 ERA and 194 strikeouts across his major league career, the bulk of those innings coming in relief. His professional wins span multiple minor league levels, where he has also served as a closer and recorded saves in the high minors.
Major League Highlights
Bowman’s first major league victory came on June 8, 2016, in relief against the Cincinnati Reds, just two months after his debut. He picked up additional wins during his 2016 and 2017 seasons with the Cardinals, when he worked as a middle reliever and posted ERAs of 3.46 and 3.99. Most of his major league wins have been recorded in low-leverage and middle-inning situations, reflecting his role as a setup and long reliever.
Other Wins and Performances
Before reaching the majors, Bowman put together strong seasons in the Mets system, including a 10–4 record with a 3.05 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 2013, and a 10–8 record with a 3.21 ERA in 2014. In more recent years, he has excelled at the Triple-A level, including a 1.69 ERA with the St. Paul Saints in 2026 and a 2–2 record with a 3.48 ERA for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys in 2025.
Matt Bowman Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Bowman’s parents are Margaret Chou and the late William Bowman. His mother, Margaret Chou, has been a steady presence in his life, and his father’s passing is noted in his personal background. The family raised him in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where he first fell in love with baseball as a two-sport standout in high school.
Personal Life
Matthew Chou Bowman is married to trial attorney Eve Levin. Eve is the daughter of South African-born businessman, medical doctor, and research scientist Jeremy Levin and Margery Feldberg, who is the daughter of Stanley Feldberg, co-founder of TJX Companies. Bowman and his wife have built their life around his journeyman baseball career, which has taken them across multiple cities and organizations.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a turbulent year for Matthew Chou Bowman, defined by constant movement on and off the Baltimore Orioles roster. He began the year in Triple-A Norfolk, was selected to the majors on March 23, and was outrighted four days later. After Albert Suárez went down with an injury, Bowman’s contract was re-selected on March 30, and he went on to appear in 16 games for the Orioles, recording a 5.19 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 17 and one-third innings.
Bowman was designated for assignment by the Orioles three separate times between March and August, with brief returns each time after clearing outright waivers or following injuries to teammates such as Brandon Young. He allowed four runs in 1 and two-thirds innings against the Texas Rangers on July 1 and two runs in 1 and one-third innings against the Houston Astros on August 22, the latter being his final major league appearance of the year. The Orioles released him on August 29.
One day after his release, Bowman signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros and finished the season with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, going 2–2 with a 3.48 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 10 and one-third innings. He elected free agency on November 6 and has continued to seek opportunities, including minor league deals with the Minnesota Twins and the Toronto Blue Jays organization.
