Brandon Lowe is small but mighty and swings a big club, so the Bamm-Bamm nickname suits the two-time All-Star second baseman.
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Lowe to be a bedrock in a batting order that lacked pop, and he made a powerful first impression by bashing a National League-best three home runs in the opening series against the New York Mets. Lowe went 5 for 12 (.417) with a double, three homers, four RBIs and a ridiculous 1.250 slugging percentage in three games against the Mets.
“He’s been electric,” Pirates right fielder/first baseman Ryan O’Hearn said Sunday on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show. “We need Bamm-Bamm to keep that thing going. For a little guy, he’s got a lot of pop, that’s for sure.”
Lowe was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays, along with outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery, in a three-team trade that sent right-handed starting pitcher Mike Burrows to the Houston Astros. Lowe arrived with a resume that included a 39-homer, 99-RBI season in 2021 and 31 homers and 83 RBIs last year.
Lowe made his mark on the Pirates on Opening Day, when he homered twice against Mets starter Freddy Peralta. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he became one of four players in franchise history to homer in his first plate appearance with the team and one of two to do so as a starter, joining Reggie Sanders (2003). Edward Olivares (2024) and John Vander Wal (2000) both had seventh-inning, pinch-hit homers.
Lowe also became the seventh player in Pirates history to homer twice on Opening Day, joining Garrett Jones (2010), Xavier Nady (2008), Andy Van Slyke (1990), Willie Stargell (1975), Richie Hebner (1974) and Dale Long (1956).
And Lowe became the third Pirates player to homer twice in his debut, joining Derrek Lee (August 2011) and Shawon Dunston (September 1997) — but the first to accomplish that feat in an opener and the only one to do so in his first two plate appearances with the team.
And Lowe became the first Pirates player to record at least three RBIs in his team debut since Marlon Byrd had three against Milwaukee on Aug. 28, 2013.
“You’re with a new team and you want to make a good impression,” Lowe said. “It was nice to get the ball rolling pretty early.”
At 5-foot-9, 181 pounds, Lowe is not an imposing physical presence but uses his lower-body power and torque to generate impressive power. His two-run homer in the opener on a first-pitch curveball was a moonbeam at a 47-degree launch angle that traveled 337 feet to right field at a 103.5-mph exit velocity. Lowe hit his solo shot in the third even harder and farther, sending a 1-0 fastball 401 feet at 104.7 mph.
On Sunday, Lowe hit another solo homer in the third inning, driving a 2-2 fastball that Nolan McLean left over the middle of the plate 390 feet at a 103.4-mph exit velocity to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead.
“I’m just trying to hit the ball hard,” Lowe said. “I’m not trying to do too much. Make solid contact and good things happen.”
Lowe emphasized that good things can happen with or without solid contact when he credited Oneil Cruz for his leadoff approach. Cruz drew a full count on seven pitches in each of his first two at-bats in the opener, giving Lowe a longer look at Peralta. Cruz also drew a walk in his first plate appearance Sunday, then reached a 2-2 count before grounding out in the third inning.
“He’s taken some really good at-bats, some long at-bats,” Lowe said of Cruz. “I give him credit for the first day, getting me in tune with that. He’s seeing a lot of pitches. When guys see a lot of pitches, you get more of an understanding from the on-deck circle. That’s huge.”
While known more for his bat than his defense, Lowe made a critical play at the plate Saturday when he fielded Francisco Lindor’s grounder and made a throw to catcher Henry Davis to get Marcus Semien out at home plate in the 10th inning of the 4-2 walk-off loss.
Lowe also worked two walks of his own Sunday, including one in the ninth inning to move Davis into scoring position. Lowe also hit a double in the fifth inning, only for McLean to strike out the next two batters. Lowe’s impact has been immediate and impressive.
“It’s unbelievable,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “Just the way he’s able to go up there and have quality at-bats. The home runs obviously we’ll take any day, but he had some big walks in the series. He’s playing really well.”
