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Canadian pitching prospect Carter Loewen is finding confidence in consistency heading into 2026
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Photo credit: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Ben Wrixon
Mar 6, 2026, 08:00 ESTUpdated: Mar 5, 2026, 19:16 EST
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Canadian pitching prospect Carter Loewen is focused on the things he can control coming off the best season of his professional career in the San Diego Padres organization. 
In 2024, Loewen didn’t find the same success during his first taste of Double-A baseball with the San Antonio Missions, but that changed in 2025. Across 18 outings, the right-hander from Abbotsford, B.C. allowed just 10 hits and six earned runs through 22 2/3 innings, posting a minimal 2.38 ERA. 
Much of this success, he believes, is attributable to a change in mindset. 
“I think the first thing (that helped) was realizing hitters aren’t as good as I give them credit for,” said Loewen, speaking with Blue Jays Nation. “Hitters are good, but the best hitters get on three times out of ten. Pitching to a lot of contact and filling up the zone was ultimately the thing that led me to have better command.”
That improved command helped Loewen cut his walks-per-nine-innings nearly in half from 5.5 in 2024 to a much-improved 2.8 last season. This, when coupled with his overall stinginess on the mound, culminated in a brief promotion to Triple-A El Paso. 
“It was cool, for sure,” Loewen said. “I don’t try to play GM, I don’t try to predict moves or anything. I just try to keep pitching well, throw up zeroes, and whatever happens will happen… but when I got that call to go to Triple-A, it’s like ‘holy s—t I’m going to Triple-A, this is where the big boys play.’”
Loewen isn’t trying to fix what isn’t broken heading into 2026. He’s instead narrowed his focus down to two goals: continuing to refine his command and staying healthy. 
The right-hander has dealt with injuries before.
He missed almost all of 2022 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and had his excellent 2025 campaign cut short by an injury that sidelined him from June onwards.
He’s prioritizing his diet and recovery in his efforts to stay on the field moving forward. 
“One very low-hanging fruit for me is diet, and what I put in my body,” he explained. “If I’m lacking in iron or calcium or whatever the bloodwork comes back to show, I’ll try to do the best that I can to hit the areas where the level might not be fully filled.”
Consistent rest is just as—if not even more—important in that equation. 
“The sleep aspect is obviously huge because that’s when your body recovers from going out and throwing 96 (mph) every night. That’s not a very easy thing to do on the body.
“Waking up knowing I’m not going to feel like crap the next day — that’s just a very easy thing to prevent. I’ve tried mouth tape, I’ve tried nose strips, I’ve tried everything in the book, and honestly, I’ve found going to bed at the same time every night is literally the biggest thing.”
So far this spring, Loewen has appeared in one game, facing one batter back on February 23rd against the Milwaukee Brewers.
When JP Sears struggled to get out of the first inning, Loewen was called to action to get the final out. It took him five pitches, but he was able to get Luis Lara called out on strikes, hitting 94 MPH with his sinker while also mixing in a cutter and a changeup in the at-bat.
As far as actually preparing to take the mound goes, Loewen tries not to get lost in all the data at his disposal. Velocity is the main thing he tracks as a reflection of his ability to overpower hitters and a measure of his health. 
His thoughts when he’s jogging out from the bullpen are far more serious. 
“I hope I don’t look stupid running,” he said with a laugh. “That is the only thing going through my mind: I hope I don’t look dumb. The day that I make my big league debut, and I’m running in from Petco (Park) or wherever it may be, I’ll be running in and hoping I hope I really don’t look stupid running in here.”

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