Former Maryland 2B Brandon Lowe called up to MLB by Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays now have two former Maryland baseball players on their active roster, as second baseman/outfielder was called up to the big league club on Saturday.

This is Lowe’s first MLB callup. The Rays drafted Lowe in the third round of the 2015 MLB Draft with the 87th overall pick. He spent the last three seasons in the minors, beginning at Class-A Bowling Green in 2016.

However, it was with the Advanced-A Charlotte Stone Crabs where Lowe came into his own. In 90 games, he hit .311/.403/.524 with nine home runs, 46 RBI and 34 doubles on his way to winning the Florida State League Player of the Year.

Lowe was promoted to Double-A Montgomery later that season, but his numbers were so good in those 90 games that he still won player of the year honors. Lowe spent parts of two seasons with the Montgomery Biscuits, hitting 10 home runs and 53 RBI in just 78 combined games. He ended up finishing his second professional season hitting .298/.375/.493 with 11 home runs, 58 RBI and 39 doubles.

In 2018, he split time between Montgomery and Triple-A Durham. In 54 games with Montgomery, he hit .291/.400/.508, good enough to get a promotion, but it was with Durham where Lowe went off. in 46 games, Lowe hit .304/.380/.613 with 14 home runs and 35 RBI.

Between Montgomery and Durham, in 100 games, Lowe hit .297/.391/.549 with 22 home runs, 76 RBI, 31 doubles, 113 hits and 73 runs.

That was enough for the Rays to call him up as second baseman and utility player Daniel Robertson was placed on the 10-day DL. Now, Lowe’s services can be used in both the infield and outfield.

Lowe is the third Maryland baseball alum to make it onto an MLB roster this year, joining fellow Terp and current teammate Adam Kolarek and St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Brett Cecil. They could soon be joined by Mike Shawaryn and LaMonte Wade, who are both in Triple-A.