Brandon Lowe has spent most of the home games in his career under the Tropicana Field roof. It’s practical for the Tampa weather, but it pales in comparison to the view of the Pittsburgh skyline PNC Park boasts.
His new home ballpark also offers a shorter right field porch, an alluring power alley for left-handed swingers and, if you really get a hold of one, the Allegheny River.
“Something about seeing a ball going flying into the river seems very, very exciting,” Lowe said Monday over a Zoom call with reporters.
It’s an exciting proposition for the Pirates too. That’s why they made a three-team trade last Friday to acquire the 2025 All-Star Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and lefty reliever Mason Montgomery from the Rays, while sending Mike Burrows to the Astros.
The trio of players each have appeal and fill a need, Lowe is the headliner of the package and the one who addressed some of the Pirates’ biggest wants this offseason. A lefty hitter? Check. Second baseman? Check. Power bat? 31 home runs and a .477 slugging percentage would make that a check as well.
Improving the offense was the top priority for the Pirates this winter, and while Lowe isn’t the only guy on the team’s wishlist, he is someone who can slot into the top or middle of the order, alongside Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz. He’s looking forward to playing with both, admiring Reynolds’ consistency and comparing it to Rays’ slugger Yandy Díaz, while joking that watching Cruz’s line drives can be “a little infuriating at times.”
“If you have to go Cruz-me-Reynolds, there's no breaks,” Lowe said. “There's no situation where a pitcher can take a pitch off and make a mistake and get away with it. Everybody in that section can hurt you, and I think that's one of the things that truly helps a lineup together. If I don't get the job done, runner on third base, I know Bryan's going to come through and pick me up. It's a comforting feeling, relaxing almost, where I don't have to stress in my at-bat to get the job done. In turn, relaxes the body, things go better, chances are you get the job done yourself.”
Lowe’s bat and track record of consistency (he’s recorded an OPS+ above the league average each of his eight seasons in the Majors), as well as his reputation of being a good clubhouse guy, were some of the reasons why the Pirates targeted him.
“The fact that he can play second, we believe, also keeps options open for us to add another bat in another spot,” general manager Ben Cherington said last week. “It gives us a left-hand complement to what had been a pretty right-hand-hitting infield group. All of those were reasons, certainly everything we know about Brandon as a teammate, as a competitor, his character.”
Keeping him at second base would open things up as the Pirates look to add another proven bat to their lineup, but he would need to bounce back in the field. In 2023 he was worth four Outs Above Average (OAA) and 0 in 2024, but fell to -13 OAA in 2025. He was at +1 OAA through May, but then struggled in the field the rest of the way to get the second-worst defensive grades at his position. Some of that might have been due to injury, as he spent time on the injured list in July with left ankle and foot issues.
Lowe has bounced around the diamond in the past and plans to bring a first baseman’s and outfield glove to Spring Training along with his infield glove, but the Pirates’ focus is on him playing second.
“Had a rough patch post All-Star break last year,” Lowe said about his defense. “Fighting through some things I won't bother you guys with – they're not around anymore -- but I'll make sure the first step's good, the glove's good and I'm giving the guy on the mound the best bet to get all the outs he deserves."
Time will tell if he can return to his previous defensive self and how his offensive game will play in PNC Park. Right now, Lowe is excited for what is ahead.
“I feel like there's a real opportunity there for a deep push and some playoff baseball in Pittsburgh,” Lowe said. “The pitching staff is legit. The hitters, they have some extremely talented guys that play in the field and I'm excited to kind of come and help in any way that I can."