McGowan with the New York Mets in 2017.
Kevin McGowan was drafted by the New York Mets in the 13th round of the 2013 MLB Draft from Franklin Pierce University (DII) and signed for $100,000. Kevin is a personal friend of our designer, Stephen McLendon. McGowan played eight games in the Big leagues and spent parts of seven seasons in the MiLB. He shared some of his thoughts on how Minor Leaguers should approach their financial status, while also making it clear that changes need to be made.
"Yeah I mean the wages aren’t great by any means. But like you can’t complain, you signed the contract. You made the decision to play. Do I think MiLB players should be paid more? Absolutely, the pay is a joke. But don’t complain about wages when you agree to sign the contract. No one forced you to sign it. You took a chance and bet on yourself. And in reality it’s all the more incentive to make it to the big leagues. With that being said, I think it should be changed for the future. I think guys should earn a lot more. It should never come down to a case that a guy can’t play anymore because he can’t afford it.
And like a lot of guys will tell you the minors are a lot of fun. You aren’t obviously flying private city to city. You’re crammed on a bus. But those are some of the best memories. Traveling around the country. Going out with your teammates at night. Walking into the clubhouse the next day hungover hearing the boys tell great stories about the night before. It’s a fun life."
- Kevin McGowan