This story was excerpted from Aiden Stepansky's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
PITTSBURGH -- Brandon Lowe and his wife, Madison, were perusing Pittsburgh on a recent off night when they stopped at the Clemente Museum. Lowe connected with the Pirates legend’s legacy in 2022 as a member of the Rays, becoming the team’s nominee for the award.
Now in Pittsburgh, Lowe’s connection ran even deeper.
“To be really honest, I feel like it means a lot more now,” Lowe told MLB.com. “Being in Pittsburgh, it feels like one of the pinnacles of people. [I’m] just trying to be the best that you can be.”
In Lowe’s first year with the Pirates, he’s the team’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. The honor is given each season to the MLB player who shows the best character, community help and positive impact.
Even while leading the club with 29 home runs and 85 RBIs and second on the team in runs (87), Lowe’s impact off the field may be even larger.
“Sometimes, you get lost in the monotony and the routine of what this season is, how long it is and how some days, you don't feel very good. Other days, you feel fine,” Lowe said.
“It's just trying to be that same guy, talk to the people, have a good time [and] just be a good human being.”
Lowe’s nature to give back stems from his time at the University of Maryland. While in college, Lowe met Madison and saw her desire to support the community.
While typical college students were hanging out and partying with their friends, Madison did community service, like handing out turkeys for a Thanksgiving food drive. Lowe followed suit, and community-based initiatives have become a staple of their family now with two children.
A few years later, after Lowe signed a six-year, $24 million extension with the Rays, his agent, Hunter Bledsoe, recommended he start to give back futher. Lowe was on board.
“God blessed us in this life to be able to give us a platform and give me the ability to do what I do,” Lowe said. “That, in turn, comes with the ability to make some good money. Also, the ability to give back and try to find a way to make any kind of impact we can, whether it be a small impact or something that does end up touching a lot of people.
"We just understood how much it meant to do whatever we could to make our community at all better, and that's something that's always stayed true, no matter if we're in Tampa or in Pittsburgh.”
Lowe’s initiatives have evolved over the years, but all connect with his personal life. He launched Home Runs for Hope in 2019, a charitable initiative created in support of mental health awareness.
It was Spring Training 2017, and Lowe was preparing for his first season of High-A in the Rays organization. His grandparents came to town for a visit, and at lunch they broke the news to Lowe that his uncle had taken his own life. Lowe spent a few years hiding the news, knowing the stigma around men’s mental health. He then realized he could no longer stay silent.
“It finally got to a point where it was like nobody ever talks about it; we need to talk about it,” Lowe said. “... We've seen and talked to so many people that have been thankful about the work that we've done with. I'm hoping that we're bringing it into a good light, and people are getting their help and whatever small thing that we can do to try to help someone's day.”
Following Lowe’s offseason trade to Pittsburgh, he quickly established that he’d continue this program and pledged to donate $250 for every home run he hits -- with all proceeds benefiting Pirates Charities mental health programming.
Lowe, along with Madison, also regularly contributes to the Baby Quest Foundation, an organization that holds special significance to the couple. They’ve been open about their fertility struggles, and understand firsthand the cost of treatments and the IVF process.
“We wanted to make sure that a financial setback was not holding somebody back from being a parent and being able to have a family,” Lowe said.
With the Pirates, he’s continued Lowe’s Legends to support youth baseball and softball opportunities. Kids come out to Pirates games and meet Lowe, while also getting food vouchers and watching batting practice on the field.
Whether mentoring a young athlete or supporting a family-focused nonprofit initiative, Lowe approaches community service with authenticity and purpose, just as Clemente did years ago. It’s nearly impossible to live up to Clemente’s legacy. With the Pirates, Lowe hopes to take at least a small part in honoring it.