He played for the Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and the San Francisco Giants and won two World Series championships.

During his time with Chicago, Rowand was extremely popular with White Sox fans, owing to his all-out style of play.

The following year, he played his first full professional season with the Single-A advanced Winston-Salem Warthogs of the Carolina League, batting .279 in 133 games.

"[3] Rowand began the year with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights of the International League, where through the middle of June he had 16 home runs and 48 RBI in 62 games.

[12][14] Although he was initially used sparingly, in the middle of July Rowand began splitting time with Chris Singleton in center field.

[16] Following the trade of Kenny Lofton to the San Francisco Giants on July 28, Rowand became the everyday center fielder for much of the rest of the year.

[2] Rowand suffered a broken left shoulder blade and rib in a dirt bike accident in the 2002–03 offseason and spent part of 2003 spring training recovering.

José Contreras, the starting pitcher for the White Sox in both of Rowand's two-home-run games, said, "I owe him something a little bigger than dinner.

[28] On June 10, 2005, with the White Sox leading the San Diego Padres by two runs in the seventh inning, Rowand made two run-saving plays.

[29] Two days later, after entering the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning, Rowand hit a go-ahead, three-run, 10th-inning home run against Trevor Hoffman, helping the White Sox beat the Padres 8–5.

Though he had no RBI, he scored two runs and had five hits as the White Sox swept the Astros, earning their first World Series championship since 1917.

He would run hard after balls hit to center field, not afraid to crash into the outfield wall if it was necessary to make a catch.

[38] "White Sox fans have always reserved a special place for Aaron because of his all-out style of play and love for the game," observed Director of Player Development Nick Capra in 2015.

[39] After the 2005 season, on November 23, Rowand was traded with minor league pitchers Gio González and Daniel Haigwood to the Philadelphia Phillies for first baseman Jim Thome.

[2] Chicago wanted Thome for his skill at hitting home runs, and Philadelphia needed a new center fielder because it was not planning to re-sign Lofton.

[40] Rowand's bases-loaded triple in the seventh inning against Matt Herges of the Florida Marlins on May 2, 2006, brought the Phillies from a one-run deficit to a 7–5 lead, which they would hold for the rest of the game.

[41] On May 11, in the first inning against the Mets, Rowand made a spectacular play by smashing into the center field fence of Citizens Bank Park face first at full speed in order to run down a deep fly ball off the bat of Xavier Nady with the bases loaded.

[52] With the Phillies thick in the hunt for the playoffs late in the season, on September 17, Rowand hit two home runs against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Then, in the eighth inning, he fell to the ground on the warning track as he robbed Ryan Ludwick of a hit that would have driven in the runs to put the Cardinals ahead.

[56] Rowand and Burrell hit back-to-back home runs against Jeff Francis to start the fifth inning of Game 1, which Philadelphia would lose 4–2.

[49][58] In the face of dismal expectations for the team's 2008 season, Rowand proposed in January that the Giants could win the NL West "if guys have some good years".

[64] On July 10, with one out in the ninth inning, Rowand made a leaping catch at the center field wall to rob Edgar Gonzalez of a hit and preserve Jonathan Sánchez's no hitter.

[65] He missed a few games after getting hit by a pitch from Tommy Hanson on July 20, though the resulting contusion was not severe enough to require him to go on the disabled list.

[64][66] On July 31, Rowand collected his 1,000th career hit at home against his former team, the Phillies, when he doubled against Cliff Lee in San Francisco's 5–1 loss.

[2][64][67] He had four hits and two RBI, including a solo home run against Livan Hernandez, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Mets on August 17, which the Giants won 10–1.

[72] In June, he began losing playing time to Andrés Torres in center field; by August, his starts were infrequent.

[36][76] He also replaced Torres in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 6, which the Giants won 3–2 to clinch a trip to the World Series against the Rangers.

[77] In Game 2 of the World Series, Rowand hit a two-RBI triple against Michael Kirkman in the bottom of the eighth inning.

[89][90][91] In 2020, Rowand sold his Las Vegas mansion, purchasing a house overlooking the ocean in San Clemente, California, for $4.833 million.

The role required him to work with the prospects sporadically throughout the season, then teach them in a month-long instructional camp after the final game of the year.