Sowers' pitching repertoire featured a fastball with which he varied the speed between about 85 and 92 mph, a curveball, a slider that cuts in on right-handed batters, and a changeup.

[9][10][11] After his junior year at Vanderbilt, the Indians selected Sowers with the sixth overall pick in the 2004 Major League Baseball draft.

Sowers split most of the 2005 season between the Indians' Single-A (Kinston) and Double-A (Akron) farm teams, compiling a combined 13–4 record and 2.40 ERA in 26 starts.

[19] In 2006, Sowers was a non-roster invitee at the Indians' spring training, but did not make the club's Opening Day roster, beginning the season with Buffalo.

[21] He made his major league debut against the Reds on June 25, taking the loss after allowing four earned runs on five hits while recording three strikeouts and two walks in five innings pitched.

[22] He tossed his first major league complete game shutout on July 22, 2006, against the Minnesota Twins, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out four.

[23] Six days later, he threw another shutout—this one a 1–0 game against the Seattle Mariners—becoming the first Indians rookie to throw back-to-back shutouts since Dick Tidrow in 1972.

[29] In 2008, Sowers competed for Cleveland's fifth starter job in spring training along with Cliff Lee and Aaron Laffey.

[26] During spring training in 2009, Sowers again competed for the fifth starting pitcher slot; he was not selected and was sent down to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers.

[26] On March 31, 2010, after failing to secure a spot in the major league starting rotation, Sowers was sent outright to Triple-A Columbus and removed from the Indians' 40-man roster.

[26] After sitting out the 2012 season, Sowers signed with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball on April 17, 2013.

[42][43] In 2016, Sowers was hired by the Tampa Bay Rays to work as an assistant in their baseball operations department.