Brandon Lowe

Born on July 6, 1994, in Suffolk, Virginia, Brandon Lowe grew into an exceptional athlete and later rose to fame as an American professional baseball player. He currently holds a prestigious position as the second baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). His baseball career took flight in 2018 when he made his MLB debut and further soared in 2019 as he earned his stripes as an MLB All-Star.

During his early years, Lowe honed his baseball skills at Nansemond River High School. His talent was evident as he led the school’s baseball team to numerous victories, including a district championship in his junior year and another title in his senior year. He also bagged several individual accolades, including first-team all-state, all-region, and all-district.

Lowe’s exceptional performance in high school baseball caught the attention of the University of Maryland, College Park, and he soon committed to play college baseball for them as one of the Maryland Terrapins. However, life threw a curveball, and Lowe suffered an injury two days before his freshman year’s inaugural game, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. This unfortunate incident led to him being redshirted, and he had to watch that entire season from the bench.

However, Lowe did not let this setback define his career. He came back stronger in his redshirt freshman season, taking the Maryland Terrapins by storm as he led in batting average (.348), on-base percentage (.464), and slugging percentage (.464). In his sophomore season, Lowe continued to shine, leading the Terrapins in hits, walks, runs, and doubles, and ended the season as the runner-up in runs batted in.

Throughout 2014’s summer break, he played for the Bethesda Big Train and emerged as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League. Sadly, just two days shy of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft, Lowe encountered another pitfall, suffering a broken fibula during the NCAA super regional match against the Virginia Cavaliers.

Regardless of the setback, the Tampa Bay Rays recognized Lowe’s potential and drafted him in the third round of MLB’s 2015 draft, earning the 87th overall selection. Despite his injury, Lowe recovered and made his MLB debut in 2016 as part of the Bowling Green Hot Rods. He ended his first season with a .248 batting average, charting five home runs and 42 RBI in 107 games.

Ability and potential often supersede adversity. Lowe began 2017 with the Charlotte Stone Crabs and in the same year, earned a promotion to the Montgomery Biscuits. His time with Charlotte was outstanding – he averaged .311/.403/.524 with nine home runs and 46 RBI in 90 games, earning him the Florida State League’s most valuable player title. With Montgomery, he had a decent run, posting a .253/.270/.389 slash line in 23 games.

Amidst the ups and downs, Lowe kept rising, and 2018 saw his promotion to the major leagues with the Tampa Bay Rays. Making his mark within a short span, Lowe recorded his first major league hit in August, followed by his first career home run later that same month. He ended the 2018 season with a .233/.324/.450 batting average, boasting six home runs and 25 runs batted in over 148 plate appearances.

Continuing his progression, Lowe signed a six-year contract extension with the Rays in 2019. Lowe’s extraordinary 2019 season saw his first multi-homer game in April and was highlighted by his debut All-Star appearance in July. Despite suffering a left quad strain in August, Lowe bounced back to finish the season with a .270/.336/.514 hitting record, 17 home runs, and 51 RBI in 82 games, securing the third place in the American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Lowe’s momentum continued into the shortened 60 game 2020 season, during which he maintained a .269/.362/.554 record, knocking 14 home runs and 37 RBI. His performance earned him the team MVP title awarded by the Tampa Bay members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Unfortunately, despite these individual credentials, Lowe struggled in the playoffs. However, in game 2 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Lowe broke out of his slump by hitting two home runs.

Lowe entered the 2021 season as the starting second baseman for the Rays and flourished, hitting three home runs in a game against the New York Yankees and ending the season with a .247/.340/.523 record, with 39 home runs and 99 RBIs in 149 games. He was acknowledged as one of the top performers, landing 10th in the American League MVP voting.

Despite a slow start in 2022 and several injuries that led to a restricted number of games played, Lowe managed to score eight home runs and maintained an impressive form. He began 2023 as an opening day starter for the fourth consecutive year. Amidst the season, there were glorious moments like his two-run walk-off home run and hitting his 100th career home run. However, other moments, like being side-lined due to lower back inflammation and a fractured right kneecap, required overcoming adversity.

Away from the field, Lowe, a lifelong New York Yankees fan, is married to former Maryland college softball player Madison Martin, and the couple has a son. The duo, who met as student-athletes at the University of Maryland, resides in Nashville during the offseason.

Lowe’s baseball journey is often confused with that of Josh Lowe, an outfielder with the Rays, who is unrelated despite being drafted a year later in 2016. Nor is he related to Nathaniel Lowe, who also played for the Rays and is currently a player for the Texas Rangers. Brandon Lowe’s story of grit, determination, and resilience continues to inspire many and contribute significantly to American baseball.