Brandon Lowe

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #8 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Lowe (whose name rhymes with "now") has fulfilled area scout Lou Wieben's conviction that he was one of the best hitters in the 2015 draft. He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in 2013 and broke his right fibula in 2015, but he has hit ever since getting healthy. Lowe was the Florida State League MVP in 2017 and was even better in his encore, reaching the big leagues in August.
  
  Scouting Report: Lowe is a bat-first second baseman, but he has worked to become an average defender while becoming playable in left and right field, where his above-average speed helps. His fringe-average arm limits him at second, but he has improved his ability to turn the double play and can make the throw from short right field on shifts. Offensively, Lowe gets to plus raw power thanks to a swing with leverage. That leads scouts to believe he'll hit for above-average power with an average hit tool. His hands work well, allowing him to handle quality fastballs, and he puts together competitive at-bats against same-side pitchers.
  
  The Future: The Rays have emphasized developing second basemen who can hit. Lowe should earn at-bats with the Rays in the outfield and at second base.
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  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #16 prospect in 2018
  Lowe blossomed in 2017 when he was named the Florida State League most valuable player and the Rays' minor league player of the year. He led the FSL with a .524 slugging percentage and tied for first with 34 doubles despite spending the last month of the season in Double-A. He also established high Class A Charlotte's single-season franchise record for slugging and OPS. An effective offensive player throughout his college career at Maryland due to his pitch recognition, disciplined approach and ability to work the count, Lowe increased his power in 2017 after shifting his hands away from his body during his setup. He has above-average bat speed with solid power and attacks pitches in the strike zone with his short, quick compact swing. An average runner who runs the bases intelligently, Lowe has cleaned up his pivot in turning double plays on defense, but needs to upgrade his footwork in order to improve his range. His arm strength is fringe-average, but shouldn't be a problem at the keystone. With second base becoming more of an offensive position, Lowe fits the mold well. He'll likely open 2018 back at Montgomery, with an in-season promotion to Triple-A Durham a possibility.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #98 prospect in 2015 draft
  Two days before his true freshman season at Maryland, Brandon Lowe tore his anterior cruciate ligament, causing him to miss the entirety of his freshman season. Lowe returned to field a year later and almost instantly emerged as a top prospect for 2015. As a redshirt freshman, Lowe batted .348/.464/.464, and his batting average and on-base percentage are almost identical this year, but he's slugging more than 100 points higher. With elite pitch recognition skills and a disciplined approach at the plate, Lowe has controlled at-bats for the Terrapins for two years now. He also has plus bat speed and the potential for average power, with the ability to pull the ball out to right-center field. Lowe has a high offensive ceiling, especially for a player who projects to stay up the middle. Lowe doesn't do anything spectacular at second base, but he has adequate foot speed and body control, and can pivot and turn the double play ball. He has fringe-average arm strength, which is plenty to play at second. One potential knock against Lowe would be his lack of track record against high quality pitching, but this season he has raked in the Big 10, which is as good a conference as it has ever been. Lowe is young for the college class, not turning 21 until July.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked International League #19 prospect in 2018
  Lowe started the season with Double-A Montgomery, showed up in Durham and was an instant hit. He hammered eight home runs in a 10-game span in June and overall hit 14 homers in 46 games with the Bulls before receiving his first big league callup on Aug. 5. Lowe’s swing is consistent and his power comes without trying to do too much, making scouts confident in his long-term consistency. “He hit his way to the major leagues,” Durham manager Jared Sandberg said. “Just so many quality at-bats and that makes him stronger mentally. He has calmed down in the box and you see him making adjustments.” Defensively Lowe draws average at best grades at both second base and left field, but concerns there have been overshadowed by his bat.
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  Ranked Southern League #10 prospect in 2018
  Lowe endured a gruesome knee injury as a college freshman and then broke his fibula right before the 2015 draft. The Rays made him a third-round pick anyway and have been rewarded by his rapid rise to Tampa Bay, which he completed in early August. At Double-A and Triple-A this season he hit .297/.391/.558 with 22 home runs in 100 games. After overcoming an 0-for-19 start in the big leagues, Lowe showed power, patience and versatility by starting games at second base and both outfield corners. He sets his hands low at the plate before unleashing a quick, powerful lefthanded swing from a smaller, compact frame. Lowe has the plate discipline and feel for the barrel to be an average hitter and the plus raw power to hit the ball out from pole to pole and deliver above-average home run totals. Lowe improved his defensive play at second base, but his range and arm strength grade as fringe-average. His arm plays up thanks to his accuracy and strong internal clock.
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  Ranked Florida State League #20 prospect in 2017
  The league's MVP, Lowe led the league in slugging (.524) and tied for the league doubles lead (34) despite being promoted to Double-A in August. Lowe has overcome injuries in his amateur career, including a torn ACL in his knee that cost him his freshman season and a broken lower left fibula the year in 2015, the year he was drafted. He's stayed healthy as a pro and broke out in the FSL. Lowe fits the current prototype for an offensive second baseman. He got to his power more this season by getting his hands further away from his body in his setup, allowing him to get the barrel to the ball more frequently. He has solid-average power and knows the strike zone well, taking aggressive swings at pitches in the strike zone. A fringy runner and defender, Lowe has modest range but enough arm strength to turn the double play at second. He's adapted to the Rays' defensive shifts well but still has to improve his footwork and ease of operation defensively to be an average defender at second.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #93 prospect in 2019

• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Lowe has fulfilled area scout Lou Wieben’s conviction that he was one of the best hitters in the 2015 draft. He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in 2013 and broke his right fibula in 2015, but he has hit ever since getting healthy. Lowe was the Florida State League MVP in 2017 and was even better in his encore, reaching the big leagues in August. Scouting Report: Lowe is a bat-first second baseman, but he has worked to become an average defender while becoming playable in left and right field, where his above-average speed helps. His fringe-average arm limits him at second, but he has improved his ability to turn the double play and can make the throw from short right field on shifts. Offensively, Lowe gets to plus raw power thanks to a swing with leverage. That leads scouts to believe he’ll hit for above-average power with an average hit tool. His hands work well, allowing him to handle quality fastballs, and he puts together competitive at-bats against same-side pitchers. The Future: The Rays have emphasized developing second basemen who can hit. Lowe should earn at-bats with the Rays in the outfield and at second base.