PAWTUCKET - On the fast track to success, perhaps. But make no doubt about it, Michael Bowden is a highly-acclaimed, well-sought-after pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organization.

Bowden has spent the fast few days with the Pawtucket Red Sox, better acclimating himself to baseball at the AAA-level after producing very well (9-4, 2.33 ERA) in 19 starting assignments on the mound for the Portland SeaDogs.

And like Jonathan Paplebon, Jon Lester, Manny Delcarmen, Clay Buchholz and Justin Masterson, Bowden is another in the galaxy of highly-touted pitching arms in the Red Sox organization.

"Without question, my goal was to get here (Pawtucket) and my goal is to get up to Boston by the end of the year, which is still attainable," said the 21-year old righthander. "I've come a long way this year.

"They've got some great pitchers up there (Boston) right now that are taking care of business, so all of the pressure is off of me." Bowden was drafted (out of Waubonsie Valley, Ill. High) in the first round of the MLB selections in 2005, part of compensation from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Derek Lowe.

Bowden was summoned from Portland earlier in the week and has yet to be activated by the PawSox, being on Portland's disabled list (calf strain). However, he has been penciled in by PawSox manager Ron Johnson to get his first International League starting assignment Monday night in Columbus.

"I'm very excited," said the rugged Bowden, who has been often compared as a twin brother to the 6-foot-5 Masterson, a current PawSox reliever. Not so odd, their lockers are adjacent one another in the PawSox clubhouse.

Bowden throws two- and four-seam fastballs, a curveball and a changeup and has made some adjustments in his delivery, making it more compact, shortening his kick.

"At the beginning of the year (at Portland), I had three consecutive starts where I was leaving my fastball up," said Bowden. "My location, my command wasn't there. I was short on my fastball."

Since then, Bowden has been impressive with 101 strikeouts in 1041/3 innings, but more importantly, his accuracy (limiting foes to a .193 batting average through his first seven starts) and control were outstanding.

Bowden walked just 24 batters and allowed just five home runs.

"I'm throwing more off-speed pitches, which is what the organization wanted," said Bowden, who was 8-6 in Portland last year in 19 games. He was so well-regarded, Bowden was often a player sought by teams in trades talks with Boston.

"I don't worry about the uncontrollable," said Bowden. "The only time that I hear about that stuff is when my friends call or text me, 'hey, you going to the Twins?' I can't control that stuff."

What Bowden is hoping to do is control his future with the Red Sox. "I was on a fast track a little bit coming out of high school," said Bowden, a Cubs and NHL Blackhawks fan. "I have high expectations for myself, but I got a little bit delayed. My curveball, my changeup have come a long way. When I'm behind in counts, early in the counts, I'm comfortable with them. .

"I've refined all that. I work off of my fastball, which has made everything better."