1 Photo
Kyle McGowin in his debut for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys on Thursday, May 11, in which he pitched three scoreless innings. SONNY JOHNSTON/SUGAR LAND SPACE COWBOYS
When Kyle McGowin’s agents, Eric McQueen and Sam Levinson, contacted Staten Island FerryHawks General Manager Gary Perone, they hinted that their client may not stick around all that much.
After McGowin’s contract was purchased by the reigning World Champion Houston Astros on May 8 after just one start, Perone texted in a group chat with McGowin and his agents that simply said, “took ya long enough.”
McGowin was more than impressive in his Opening Day start for the FerryHawks on April 28, striking out 11 batters in five perfect innings. Only in their second season, and playing in the same league as the Long Island Ducks, McGowin is Staten Island’s first player in franchise history to have his contract selected by an MLB organization.
By Thursday, May 11, McGowin was in Texas hurling three scoreless innings and helping Houston’s triple-A affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, win a 10-inning, come-from-behind walk-off over the El Paso Chihuahuas, 7-6. It’s a bit of a comeback story for McGowin himself, who took all of last season off due to Major League Baseball’s work stoppage, which led to a late start to the season.
The 2010 Pierson graduate, who played two seasons for the Sag Harbor Whalers of the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League, struck out three batters in his three innings of work with his newest team, the Space Cowboys, last week. McGowin said it felt like he never took a year off.
“I didn’t play last year. I decided to step away from the game for a while, but I still worked out,” he said. “I felt last year with the lockout it would be a good idea to take some time off and come back prepared for this year. I reached out to a couple of teams in independent ball. My agents recommended I go play with Staten Island. I made one start, and the hope was that I would get a couple of calls after that and I did. The Astros wound up being the team that won out.”
McGowin, who played his college ball at Savannah State, said he thinks sitting out last season was ultimately the right decision for him.
“Too see where I’m at right now, it was the right decision, now that I’m back in triple-A with a very good organization in the Astros,” he said. “Thankfully, I did well with Staten Island so I was pretty happy with my decision.”
McGowin, 31, was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the fifth round in 2013 and played in the organization until 2016, when he was acquired by the Washington Nationals. He made 48 appearances with Washington from 2018-2021, and even earned a World Series ring with the organization in 2019. In 64.2 Major League innings, he’s struck out 77 batters over his career.
Playing side-by-side now with a perennial All-Star in Jose Altuve, who just started a rehab assignment in Sugar Land, McGowin said he was slated to start in his next game on Wednesday. If all goes well, he could be one step closer to making it back to the big leagues.
“Just like when I was with the Nationals, when that opportunity arises, hopefully I’m the guy that they call on and I’m ready for it,” he said. “It feels great being in this organization and now I understand what it’s like playing for a team that’s at the top of its game, from the way they treat their players and their facilities which are just top notch.”
