Michael Bowden breezed onto the scene last year and did well. And maybe it's because of the Steve McQueen resemblance and the cute little accent or maybe because well-regarded pitching prospects have done well for the Sox or maybe because their names both start with B and so he was paired with Buchholz in Pawtucket and often mentioned in the same breath but regardless of how it came about expectations were high for Bowden this season. He has not met those expectations.
But that's not to say that he's useless. He has shown signs of being the pitcher he might very well become; he's k'd Jeter a couple of times, he was making some good pitches today and not getting the call. Mostly it's because throughout his minor league career Bowden has been a guy who's struggled right after a promotion before settling down (not that he doesn't battle bouts of inconsistency afterward). The kid has the mentality of a pit bull and he's not done yet.
Hunter Jones, meanwhile, came out gangbusters in April, hit a really rough patch in May, and hasn't been hugely successful in September but if he could get his control back, there would be something to like there.
Dustin Richardson could possibly be the most exciting of all of them. He was a starter until this year, he's not unhittable, and control can be an issue, but his strike out numbers are mind-boggling. In 10.2 innings at Pawtucket this year, he struck out 16.
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