PHILADELPHIA -- The Pirates acquired Brandon Lowe to be an aircraft carrier, lifting their offense out of baseball’s basement. Though Pittsburgh likely didn’t envision Lowe having this impact.
On Thursday in Philadelphia, Lowe singled twice, walked and stole his first base of the season. He went on to score the go-ahead run on Esmerlyn Valdez's triple, leading to an offensive breakout and a 6-1 win to split the series at Citizens Bank Park.
With Lowe as its top power threat, Pittsburgh’s offense has transformed into one of the best in the National League, as he’s tallied 77 hits and an .817 OPS through 81 games. Despite Lowe leading all second basemen in home runs (20), RBIs (57) and slugging percentage (.498), Lowe wasn’t a finalist at the position to be a starter for the All-Star Game, falling behind Atlanta's Ozzie Albies and Philadelphia's Bryson Stott.
This isn’t Lowe’s first rodeo. The nine-year veteran has made the Midsummer Classic twice, squeezing in on the player vote and as a reserve. He didn’t play in either due to injury. After an effective performance in the City of Brotherly Love, he hopes to make a return in less than two weeks with the Phillies set to host this year's All-Star Game.
The full All-Star rosters will be announced on FOX at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
“It'd be nice to get one under my belt,” Lowe said of playing in the Midsummer Classic. “I think watching my little girl and my son walk down the red carpet would be a lot of fun.”
2026 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard
• Watch on FOX, July 14 at 8 p.m. ET
Lowe brought his young family to the red carpet in Atlanta last year. He remembers carrying his daughter down the runway and his son high-fiving fans. Lowe said this year would carry a little more weight, as his daughter can now walk and her personality has blossomed.
Early in Lowe’s career, he saw his identity simply as a baseball player. After having kids, Lowe’s perspective has drastically changed. Now, baseball is what he does -- not who he is. Sharing another moment with his kids on the red carpet would add to the excitement.
“When you go back home, they do not care what happened at the ballpark,” Lowe said. “They're just overjoyed to see you, they're happy and they want to go play or want you to read them books or whatnot. It's the greatest reset.”
If Lowe’s children did care what happened at the ballpark, they’d be pretty happy campers in 2026. He dealt with injury trouble in the past with the Rays, missing the 2019 All-Star Game due to a bone bruise and the 2025 version with an oblique injury.
Now feeling refreshed and off the turf at Tropicana Field, Lowe is healthy and improving on both sides of the ball. He has increased his Outs Above Average from a career-worst -14 last season to +7 this year. Lowe said he feels his defense has improved due to health, but also a pre-pitch bunny hop implemented by infield coach Chris Truby.
Despite making the World Series with the Rays in 2021, Lowe said this might be the best offense, in totality, he’s ever been a part of. The Pirates heavily outhit the Phillies (14 to four) in the series finale, and scored six or more runs in three of the four games.
Valdez drove in Lowe, and Nick Gonzales added another run with a single to center field. Endy Rodríguez added insurance in the eighth with a solo shot and Valdez notched his third RBI with a sacrifice fly later in the frame, plenty to give the Pirates a comfortable victory.
The Pirates rank first in hits (794) and second in OPS (.759), a drastic change from their ranks last year when they had the fewest hits and third-worst OPS in MLB. Hitting coach Matt Hague said Lowe is at the forefront of transforming Pittsburgh’s offense, using his close attention to detail to hunt the right pitches. Hague noted that Lowe is extremely consistent in his setup in the batter’s box, making his success not much of a surprise.
Lowe is just the second Pirates second baseman to reach 20 home runs in a season, joining Neil Walker (2014). Walker finished that season with 23 homers. Lowe is on pace to shatter the mark with 38. Pirates manager Don Kelly feels his second baseman deserves the honor of returning to Philadelphia as an All-Star.
“Off the field, how he prepares, how he competes,” Kelly said. “Obviously, the home runs are electric. … The consistency that he's played with every single day has meant a ton to us.”
Lowe didn’t make the Midsummer Classic in 2021, his best statistical season, though he finished 10th in American League MVP voting. Still, he relishes the opportunity to not only make the game, but play in it this time.
“It'd be kind of like my first one all over again," Lowe said. "Nerves were probably pretty high, but it'd be really cool to actually be out there and go participate in one of them."