Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres' 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability).
After being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 11th round of the 2019 draft, Jase Bowen flashed potential in his final season in the Pirates' system. In 2025, he slashed .272/.353/.449 across four levels of the minor leagues. Most impressively, Bowen hit .294 with an .870 OPS in 36 games for Triple-A Indianapolis. In November of '25, Bowen elected free agency and signed with San Diego. He posted a .292/.362/.600 slash line in 49 games with Triple-A El Paso before being called up to make his MLB debut.
To that end, Bowen struggled. He never quite found a groove at the plate in the big leagues. Bowen often looked overwhelmed against big-league pitching, batting an anemic .146 with a .438 OPS. The power all but disappeared. Bowen had hit 13 homers in 49 games with El Paso, but launched just two in 83 contests at the big-league level.
Some of that is due to his usage as a defensive replacement. Bowen was really only put in games late, often not starting. Of the 83 games that Bowen played in, he started in less than a quarter of them. He boasts a phenomenal glove, posting +2 Fielding Run Value and +1 Outs Above Average in such a small sample (283.0 INN). Still, his glove is not enough to keep him on the roster.
Bowen has a potent bat, but he needs more time to develop. Starting the season in Triple-A to get more time against high-caliber pitching could help him mature enough to face big-leaguers. Alternatively, if he shows improvement during Cactus League play, Bowen could work his way onto the Opening Day roster. That said, Bowen needs to improve, otherwise he's not going to last long on this squad in a stacked outfield crop.
