One of the first calls Brandon Lowe received when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates was from his new infield coach, Chris Truby.
Coming off a career-worst season in the field in which he had minus-14 defensive runs saved and ranked in the first-percentile with minus-14 outs above average, Truby wanted it to be known that he felt like Lowe was capable of being a strong defender.
“I remember thinking to myself with this guy, you look at the numbers and the numbers don’t match up with what the player should be and what it could be,” Truby explained. “So, you start to dive in and start to dig and have conversations with him. He was all in on doing whatever it took to get better.”
After being one of the worst defenders at his position with the Tampa Bay Rays last season, the early returns on his first few weeks with the Pirates have been encouraging.
In 18 games at second base, the 31-year-old has a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and ranks in the 86th-percentile with two outs above average. He’s also had his best arm strength since 2022.
“There are some balls that I’ve gotten to this year that I don’t know if I get to them last year,” he said. “I feel like I’m getting better jumps and better reads on balls.”
There are several reasons that could explain why Lowe is performing better defensively this season, and health is one. Last year, Lowe spent some time on the injured list with oblique tightness – which tends to linger – and left foot/ankle tendonitis.
Good health, combined with some things Truby identified, have put Lowe in position to succeed.
“He’s a good athlete and I wanted him to play more athletic,” Truby explained. “I felt like he was maybe a little bit stagnant, so we just kind of put him in a more athletic position to start. He’s been getting off the ball well and he’s been moving well.”
Lowe has consistently been a strong performer at the plate in his career and that has continued during his first season with the Pirates.
Lowe is the team leader and ranks fourth in the National League with seven home runs. He carries a robust .267/.375/.600 batting line and has driven in 19 runs.
The impact he’s made offensively is nothing new for the two-time All-Star, but Lowe came to Pittsburgh wanting to take his game to the next level.
“It’s more of a desire to go out there and be the best player I can be, and I know being better on the defensive side is gonna improve what people see and what kind of player I am,” he explained. “It’s just keep improving myself and keep trying to make strides any place I can.”
In addition to the adjustments he’s made, that desire to be the best player he can be is one of the biggest reasons for the turnaround in Truby’s eyes.
“If you have somebody who’s been around and takes pride in their work and takes pride in wanting to be a defender, that’s the biggest piece of it all,” he explained. “He’s been great.”
While Lowe’s offensive production will continue to be what stands out, his much-improved defense should not be overlooked.
Lowe is impacting both sides of the ball, and so far, he’s arguably been the Pirates most valuable player and one of the team’s best acquisitions in recent history.
“Guys are remembered for their offense, but the really good players play both sides,” said Truby. “He’s playing both sides.”
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