Nathaniel

Lowe

Lowe hit third for the Nationals today, though that could be James Wood’s spot for the most part. If so, Lowe would still likely be the choice to hit fourth. Seemingly committed to swinging for the fences more than usual, he could offer some mixed-league value while hopefully exceeding last year’s totals of 16 homers, 69 RBI and 62 runs scored in 140 games for the Rangers.

“Everybody wants to hit more homers,” Lowe said. “So, guilty. I’d like to hit more homers.” Lowe admitted that his primary focus in camp is on hitting line drives first, but “The intent is to drive the ball upwards, but not to get long. If you can hit the ball hard in the air, it makes it more simple. Hard in the air, it leaves the yard.” Lowe showed the ability to drive the ball out of the park for Texas in 2022 when he slashed .302/.358/.492 with 27 home runs in 157 games. Since then, his pull rates and fly ball rates have fallen. If he is working to get those back up, we could see a solid offensive season from Lowe that makes him a value given how late he’s going in drafts.

Lowe had filed at $11.1 million. A former Super Two player, Lowe will have one more year of arbitration in 2026 before being eligible for free agency. He’s set to be the Nationals’ starting first baseman after being acquired from the Rangers in December.

It feels like a nice bargain for the Nationals, who add a legitimate middle-of-the-order slugger to a lineup that desperately needed another one. The two sides are very familiar with each other as Bell spent the 2021 season and the first half of the 2022 campaign with the Nationals before being dealt to the Padres at the deadline. He had a bit of a down season in 2024 and still slashed a respectable .249/.319/.405 with 19 homers and 71 RBI in 145 contests between the Marlins and Diamondbacks. It’ll be interesting to see who gets squeezed out of playing time, as the Nationals already brought in Nathaniel Lowe to be their regular first baseman, so the assumption is that Bell with function as their primary designated hitter. That’s definitely bad news for Juan Yepez and Andres Chaparro.

The 29-year-old slugger should represent a massive upgrade to the middle of the Nationals’ lineup, though his arrival is likely to eat into the playing time of both Juan Yepez and Andres Chapparo. Lowe is arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter and remains under team control through the 2026 season.

The Rangers will receive left-handed reliever Robert Garcia in the return package. Lowe, 29, should represent a major upgrade in production for the Nationals after slashing .265/.361/.401 with 16 homers and 69 RBI for the Rangers during the 2024 campaign. The Rangers seem likely to let new acquisition Jake Burger function as their regular first baseman now that room has been cleared for him.

This definitely lengthens the Rangers’ lineup, giving the team another 30-homer threat and one making essentially the major league minimum for one more year. Burger is 28 and it’s certainly questionable how well he’ll age, but at this price, it looks like a great move for Texas. It also adds a great deal to Burger’s fantasy value. At the moment, it’d seem to take Josh Smith out of the Rangers’ projected lineup, but he’ll still get plenty of time as a utilityman. There’s some chance the Rangers could opt to trade Nathaniel Lowe, who is due close to $10 million in arbitration.

Lowe was able to connect on a two-run shot off Guillo Zuniga. That allows the 29-year-old to finish with 16 homers and 69 RBI. Lowe is now 29 — 30 in July — and what you see is pretty much what you get. You can do worse, you can do a lot better.

The Rangers scored twice in the eighth and four times in the ninth to win the game. Lowe collected his 15th homer and his 15th double in 560 plate appearances for the season. It’s been a disappointing campaign — he averaged 21 homers and 29 doubles over the previous three seasons — but he has finished well, hitting .301/.404/.470 in September.

The fascinating thing about T-Mobile Park in Seattle is how it’s a terrible park for offense yet a perfectly fine one for homers. There were four hit in tonight’s game, none of which would have been out in more than half of MLB’s parks. Lowe’s opposite field shot in the seventh was projected at 349 feet and would have been a homer in exactly six ballparks. That homer brought the Rangers to within two runs. Lowe then had the go-ahead hit in a three-run eighth inning on what, in our humble opinion, was an obvious error from second baseman Jorge Polanco. Lowe is batting .375/.500/.594 through 11 games this month.