The 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 180 lb (82 kg) right-hander was signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before the 1944 season.

Jesse was nearly 24 years older than Art, and the Fowlers hold the record for the largest age difference between brothers who played Major League baseball.

He, along with Tom Morgan, and later Jack Spring and Julio Navarro, were the Angels' most reliable pitchers out of the bullpen during their first three seasons.

In 1965, he signed with the Triple-A Denver Bears as a pitcher-coach, and between 1965–68 and in 1970 he worked in a total of 211 games pitched and compiled a 27–15 won-lost record.

Fowler served as Martin's pitching coach with the Minnesota Twins (1969), Detroit Tigers (1971–73), Texas Rangers (1974–75), Yankees (1977–79, 1983, 1988), and Oakland Athletics (1980–82).