Brandon Lowe has spent many of the residence video games in his profession underneath the Tropicana Subject roof. It’s sensible for the Florida climate, but it surely pales compared to the view of the Pittsburgh skyline PNC Park boasts.
His new residence ballpark additionally provides a shorter proper subject porch, an alluring energy alley for left-handed swingers and, in case you actually come up with one, the Allegheny River.
“One thing about seeing a ball going flying into the river appears very, very thrilling,” Lowe stated Monday over a Zoom name with reporters.
It’s an thrilling proposition for the Pirates too. That’s why they made a three-team commerce final Friday to accumulate the 2025 All-Star Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and lefty reliever Mason Montgomery from the Rays, whereas sending Mike Burrows to the Astros.
The trio of gamers every have attraction and fill a necessity, Lowe is the headliner of the package deal and the one who addressed a few of the Pirates’ greatest desires this offseason. A lefty hitter? Test. Second baseman? Test. Energy bat? Thirty-one residence runs and a .477 slugging proportion would make {that a} test as properly.
Bettering the offense was the highest precedence for the Pirates this winter, and whereas Lowe isn’t the one man on the group’s wishlist, he’s somebody who can slot into the highest or center of the order, alongside Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz. He’s wanting ahead to enjoying with each, admiring Reynolds’ consistency and evaluating it to Rays’ slugger Yandy Díaz, whereas joking that watching Cruz’s line drives might be “slightly infuriating at instances.”
“If you must go Cruz-me-Reynolds, there is no breaks,” Lowe stated. “There is no state of affairs the place a pitcher can take a pitch off and make a mistake and get away with it. Everyone in that part can harm you, and I believe that is one of many issues that actually helps a lineup collectively. If I do not get the job accomplished, runner on third base, I do know Bryan’s going to come back by way of and decide me up. It is a comforting feeling, stress-free nearly, the place I haven’t got to emphasize in my at-bat to get the job accomplished. In flip, relaxes the physique, issues go higher, chances are high you get the job accomplished your self.”
Lowe’s bat and observe document of consistency (he’s recorded an OPS+ above the league common every of his eight seasons within the Majors), in addition to his status of being an excellent clubhouse man, had been a few of the the reason why the Pirates focused him.
“The truth that he can play second, we consider, additionally retains choices open for us so as to add one other bat in one other spot,” common supervisor Ben Cherington stated final week. “It provides us a left-hand complement to what had been a fairly right-hand-hitting infield group. All of these had been causes, actually every part we find out about Brandon as a teammate, as a competitor, his character.”
Holding him at second base would open issues up because the Pirates look so as to add one other confirmed bat to their lineup, however he would want to bounce again within the subject. In 2023 he was price 4 Outs Above Common (OAA) and 0 in 2024, however fell to -13 OAA in 2025. He was at +1 OAA by way of Might, however then struggled within the subject the remainder of the best way to get the second-worst defensive grades at his place. A few of that may have been because of damage after he hung out on the injured record in July with left ankle and foot points.
Lowe has bounced across the diamond previously and plans to deliver a primary baseman’s and outfield glove to Spring Coaching alongside together with his infield glove, however the Pirates’ focus is on him enjoying second.
“Had a tough patch submit All-Star break final yr,” Lowe stated about his protection. “Combating by way of some issues I will not hassle you guys with – they are not round anymore — however I will be certain step one’s good, the glove’s good and I am giving the man on the mound the most effective wager to get all of the outs he deserves.”
Time will inform if he can return to his earlier defensive self and the way his offensive sport will play in PNC Park. Proper now, Lowe is worked up for what’s forward.
“I really feel like there’s an actual alternative there for a deep push and a few playoff baseball in Pittsburgh,” Lowe stated. “The pitching workers is legit. The hitters, they’ve some extraordinarily proficient guys that play within the subject and I am excited to type of come and assist in any method that I can.”
