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SAN FRANCISCO - JUNE 21: A general view of SBC Park, home of the San Francisco Giants and McCovey Cove before the MLB game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 21, 2004 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

A former San Francisco Giants minor league pitcher has returned to professional baseball at age 53, re-emerging as a knuckleballer – after three decades of working in the real world.

Vincent Towns was originally drafted in the 36th round of the 1991 MLB Draft, and went on to appear in two seasons of rookie-level baseball in the Giants’ system before leaving affiliated baseball altogether in 1992. Indeed, he did not appear in professional independent baseball, either, and instead spent his working career in the construction trade.

Towns kept his skin in the game, though, by pitching in adult rec leagues. And now, more than 30 years later, he has returned to the paid ranks via the Atlantic League, an MLB Partner League, after being selected first overall by the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars in the league’s 2026 draft.

Knuckling His Way Through Life

Towns’ selection in the Atlantic League draft followed a try-out in which his knuckleball – a pitch he began developing in his 40s – drew attention from scouts. Invariably, everyone experiments with a knuckler at some point in their pitching journey, but few actually make much progress it. And almost no one makes any sort of progress on the back nine of their life.

After being selected by the Boxcars – first overall, let us remember – Towns made his professional return on April 26, becoming the oldest player to appear in an Atlantic League game at 53 and surpassing the previous mark held by Roger Clemens. His debut was brief and unsuccessful – Towns faced four batters, allowing three hits and hitting one before being removed, reflecting the inherent volatility associated with the knuckleball, a pitch known for its unpredictable movement and inconsistency from appearance to appearance. Nonetheless, the old man had made it back.

Towns’ comeback follows an adult life spent almost entirely away from organized professional baseball. After leaving the Giants’ system, he continued playing in regional men’s leagues only while working in construction. Baseball on a meaningful (to others) level was done in 1992. Or at least, so it seemed.

Towns Tinkered Until He Got There

The transition to a knuckleball pitcher is reportedly what has given Towns this second wind. Having originally relied on a conventional fastball in the high-80 mph range – which admittedly was far more normal at the time – Towns turned to the knuckleball as his velocity declined with age. He spent more than a decade refining the pitch, which relies on minimal spin and erratic movement rather than speed. You can have the arm of a 53-year-old construction worker and still throw a good knuckler, in theory, even if getting off the mound to feel the position is not the rapid endeavor it once was.

That adjustment ultimately has provided a pathway back into professional-ish baseball. The Atlantic League, which often serves as a platform for former affiliated players and late-career entrants, offered an opportunity for Towns to re-enter the professional ranks despite the length of his absence. The construction game can wait.

The knuckleball has historically allowed pitchers to extend their careers beyond typical age limits, due to its reduced reliance on velocity. However, Towns’ return is a particularly extreme case even within that, given both his age and the duration of his absence from professional competition. Or perhaps, it is the extreme case.

While his debut results were limited, Towns indicated he intends to continue pitching and remain with the team. After all, having waited this long, he could hardly stop now. More than 30 years later, Towns’ arsenal has changed, but his presence on a professional mound for the first time in three and a half decades marks a return to functionally the same level he exited decades earlier. Towns’ first baseball career was short and wild; just by even having one, his second has already been more successful. At the rate things are going with the big league club, the Giants should buy his contract.