Pirates' Brandon Lowe Acquisition Paying Great Dividends
The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the offseason needing to upgrade an offense that finished last in MLB in runs scored with 583. That lack of production translated to just 3.6 runs per game in 2025, also the worst mark in baseball.
In response, Pittsburgh made several moves to bolster its lineup, including signing veteran bats Ryan O'Hearn and Marcell Ozuna. But the Pirates' first major and aggressive move of the offseason was acquiring second baseman Brandon Lowe.
The two-time All-Star was the centerpiece of a three-team trade last December that sent him from the Tampa Bay Rays to Pittsburgh in an effort to provide a much-needed boost to the Pirates' offense.
And a third of the way through the 2026 season, it's safe to say that Lowe has made an immediate impact with Pittsburgh. Literally: he clubbed consecutive home runs in his first two at-bats in a Pirates uniform against the New York Mets on Opening Day.
Two homers on Opening Day for Brandon Lowe in his Pirates debut! pic.twitter.com/PSH7mkFpNg
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 26, 2026
While the home runs haven't come every at-bat since then, Lowe's production certainly hasn't faltered either. Through 48 games, Lowe is slashing .265/.354/.551 with 13 home runs and 33 RBIs. He ranks first on the Pirates in slugging percentage (.551), OPS (.905), and OPS+ (151).
But Lowe's impact hasn't been limited to the batter's box.
His -14 outs above average in 2025 ranked dead last among all qualified fielders in baseball. This season, however, that number has jumped to a positive 5 outs above average mark, ranking fourth among all second basemen.
Brandon Lowe on defense the last 2 seasons:
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) May 15, 2026
2025: -14 DRS | -14 OAA
2026: +1 DRS | +4 OAA
Lowe has made HUGE strides defensively in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/4kXDr8f3d8
The 31-year-old has put together an All-Star caliber season in his first year with Pittsburgh. More importantly, he has remained mostly healthy apart from left knee discomfort that forced him to miss two games in mid-April.
Injuries have hindered Lowe since 2022, and he has failed to play at least 135 games in a season since 2021. Last year, he played in 134 games with Tampa Bay, his highest total since then.
However, he still battled multiple injuries throughout the season. Left oblique tightness forced him to miss the 2025 MLB All-Star Game. Shortly after returning from that injury, Lowe landed back on the injured list with left foot and ankle tendinitis.
But Lowe has avoided the injured list thus far in 2026 and has carried over the production he showed in Tampa Bay to Pittsburgh.
The Pirates' offense has improved drastically this season, going from dead last in runs in 2025 to tied for fourth-best in baseball this year with 258. Their 4.78 runs per game are up more than a full run from last season, and Lowe has certainly been a driving force behind that turnaround.
Pittsburgh currently holds a 28-26 record, though they sit last in a crowded NL Central where every team is above .500. The good news is that the Pirates are just 1.5 games out of the third National League Wild Card spot.
If Lowe can continue producing at this level while staying healthy, the Pirates may finally have an X-Factor bat and a legitimate chance of making the postseason for the first time since 2015.
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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 7:30 AM.