Chicago White Sox News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Riley Gowens throws against the Iowa Hawkeyes during his college career at Illinois. Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen via Imagn Content Services, LLC

White Sox Trade Acquisition Has Strong Season With Double-A Birmingham

Originally posted on Chicago White Sox on SI
By Jack Ankony | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 5:30 PM ET

Riley Gowens' name isn't listed among the White Sox top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline, but the organization thinks highly of the 6-foot-4, right-handed pitcher.

While helping the Double-A Birmingham Barons win their second straight Southern League championship, Gowens received praise from White Sox director of player development Paul Janish.

"Quietly, one of my favorite guys in the organization, just from a competitor standpoint. And that's pitchers or position players," Janish said of Gowens in September. "I talk about Riley, when I was in Birmingham the last time, you watch him pitch in the game, walk on and off the field, he walks different."

"He is a fierce competitor. It's nice that he's pitched well, and he answers the bell. We talk about showing up and being willing to push through some things. I'm sure he's got things that he doesn't even acknowledge, in terms of the body always feeling 100 percent."

Riley Gowens' season in review

Gowens made 27 starts and totaled a career-high 132 innings in 2025, all with the Barons. He finsihed with a 3.34 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP while striking out 151 batters and walking 49.

The 26-year-old helped Birmingham get off to a strong start to the season, posting a 5-0 record in his first nine outings. That stretch included four starts with at least seven strikeouts.

He also played a key role in the Barons' playoff push and championship run. Across his final 12 starts, Gowens allowed one or zero earned runs 10 times. That comes out to a 1.67 ERA in 59.2 innings from July 12 through the end of the season.

Riley Gowens struck out 7️⃣ over six, one-run innings on Wednesday for the @BhamBarons

In 8 starts since July 12, Gowens leads the Southern League with a 1.55 ERA & a .149 BAA. During that span, Gowens has 44 K's in 40.2 IP.@riley_gowens | @GoOtterbots '21 pic.twitter.com/Of7AmCJrLV
— Appalachian League (@AppyLeague) August 28, 2025

"From an arsenal standpoint, he relies on having really good command, and generally speaking he does," Janish said. "He had maybe two outings this year where he struggled, didn't get out of the second inning, but other than that, super reliable, which I think we can all agree over the course of a season, that's beating the odds in terms of reliability. I would put him up there. I'm not betting against Riley Gowens, just from the competitor standpoint."

Looking back at the Aaron Bummer trade

The White Sox acquired five players in November 2023, when they traded left-handed pitcher Aaron Bummer to the Atlanta Braves. But between Gowens, Nicky Lopez, Braden Shewmake, Jared Shuster and Michael Soroka, the trade has netted the White Sox very little major league production.

In fact, Gowens is the only player left from the trade who remains in the White Sox organization. The other four were part of the team at some point over the last two seasons, but didn't make a strong enough impression to be part of the future.

Bummer has been a solid piece for the Braves' bullpen, recording 3.69 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP in 109.2 innings across the last two seasons. But for the trade to benefit the White Sox in any real way at this point, it sits on Gowens' shoulders. The Braves selected him in the ninth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Illinois, and he's originally from Libertyville, Ill.

Janish is unsure exactly when Gowens could help the White Sox and in what role, but his work ethic suggests a bright future.

"What does that mean long term? When he gets his opportunity, hopefully, to get called up to the big leagues, is that in a reliever capacity? Is that as a starter? We'll figure that out down the road," Janish said.

"But what I do know is whatever his ceiling is, he's going to get to [it], just because of the kid. Knowing him as well as we do, from a work-ethic standpoint, and the biggest thing for me is the compete that he has, which lends itself to me thinking he may be able to overachieve what we perceive his stuff to be."

This article first appeared on Chicago White Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: