PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – When you look at the stats, second baseman/designated-hitter Brandon Lowe immediately becomes the Pirates most impactful hitter.
The 31-year-old second-baseman became a Pirate on Friday as part of a reported three-team trade where the Pirates sent starting pitcher Michael Burrows to Houston and along with Lowe, the Bucs received outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery from Tampa Bay.
A Rays third-round pick in 2015 out of the University of Maryland, Lowe made his MLB debut in 2018. His first full season he finished third as the American League Rookie of the Year and was an All-Star hitting .270 with 17 home runs. In the COVID 2020 season, he finished Top 10 in MVP voting with 14 home runs and a .916 OPS in 56 games. His best season was 2021—39 home runs, 31 doubles, 99 RBI and a 4.6 WAR.
Lowe returned as a All-Star last season and his numbers would be best on the Pirates in most power categories in 2025
· .477 slugging well in front of Spencer Horwitz (.434), Reynolds (.402)
· .785 OPS 2nd only to Horwitz (364 at bats) at .787
· 31 home runs put him well in front of team-leader Oneil Cruz (20)
· 83 RBI are 10 more than team-leader Bryan Reynolds
· 1.9 WAR second only to Jared Triolo (2.4), IKF/Horwitz (1.6)
A pull hitter, Lowe played in a short-porch at Steinbrenner Field last year, but hit only 15 of his 31 home runs at home. He should benefit from the dimensions at PNC Park with 320 down the right-field line and 399 to straight away center.
The other hitter in the deal, Jake Mangum, is also a lefty, but doesn’t possess the power. Mangum was drafted three times, finally going to the Mets in the fourth-round in 2019 out of Mississippi State. He’s a contact hitter, making it to the majors in 2025, finishing with a .296 average, .330 on-base and .698 OPS as a rookie. Even as the other position player in the deal, he would have the best average on the Pirates last year, fourth-best on-base percentage, fifth-best OPS and second-best WAR at 1.6.
Mangum is the perfect utility outfielder in terms of having played 116 games last year-63 in left field, 41 in center and 32 in right (there were games where he played multiple spots). He did not commit an error in 933.1 innings with six outfield assists.
Not only did the Pirates add bats on Friday, but a left-handed pair that should make an impact in 2026.