ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers won the World Series in 2023 thanks mostly to a lineup that was relentless and a pitching staff that found their best innings at the right time. An underrated aspect of that championship was a rock solid defense, especially from the infielders.
Sterling defense became a calling card for the Rangers thanks in part to the turnaround play of Nathaniel Lowe, who went from defensive liability at first base early in his tenure in Texas to Gold Glove winner in 2023.
Now in 2024, with a title to defend, one worry to begin April is the absence of Lowe, who won’t be at the bag to dig out the throws from his fellow infielders for at least a couple of weeks into the season as he nurses a strained oblique muscle injury that occurred early in camp.
2023 Opening Day First Baseman: Nathaniel Lowe
2024 Projected Opening Day First Baseman: Jared Walsh, Ezequiel Duran, or Justin Foscue
With Lowe out with an injury that can linger, the Rangers might turn to what would be a third rookie in their lineup if 2020 first-rounder Justin Foscue is selected to make the club. Foscue, who like Lowe attended Mississippi State, is Texas’ 5th ranked prospect after drawing 15 more walks (85) than strikeouts (70) as he ascended to Triple A in 2023.
A second baseman by trade, Foscue has been getting work all across the diamond during spring training where he produced a .261/.333/.413 slashline in Surprise.
The Rangers could also opt for a veteran in Lowe’s stead with Jared Walsh still in the mix. Walsh, an All-Star first baseman with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, came to Rangers camp as a non-roster invitee and promptly hit .233/.365/.465 in 17 Cactus League games with three home runs.
Walsh, a left-handed hitter like Lowe, appears to be the more likely option with Texas potentially planning a platoon situation with Walsh and right-handed hitting utility infielder Ezequiel Duran. Duran, who can play anywhere, is primarily a middle infielder and was expected to potentially start for Corey Seager with the Rangers’ star shortstop also nursing an offseason injury that kept him out until the second to last game of the spring.
With Seager looking more and more likely to be able to start the season in the lineup, Duran has been freed up to try on a first baseman’s mitt.
Of course, eventually the job will be reclaimed by Lowe, who struggled to find consistency in a couple of false starts in the big leagues with the Rays, became someone who delivered on his promise as he manned first base and became a prominent member of the lineup during the final lean years of the rebuild.
In his two truncated seasons with Tampa Bay, Lowe only played in 71 games, but he flashed signs of the prospect that had ranked 97th by Baseball America before the 2019 season. Upon coming over to Arlington, the first baseman saw consistent playing time, and as a result, an increase in productivity.
After his second full season with the Rangers, Lowe earned a Silver Slugger award following the 2022 season, winning praise for his bat. Indeed, hitting was his hallmark attribute and his 302/.358/.492 slash line with a career-high 27 home runs made him a breakout performer for a Texas team looking to make a move back into contention.
In 2023, the 27-year old took a bit of a step back with his bat, though he registered several double-digit hitting streaks and at one point was topping the league in doubles. Lowe also registered a career-high in walks with 93.
While the year wasn’t as impressive as his Silver Slugger campaign the year prior, Lowe, primarily as the three-hole hitter, slashed .262/.361/.414 with 17 homers and 82 runs driven in. In addition, he was durable for a team that had issues keeping everyone healthy, as he played in all but one regular season game.
In the playoffs, Lowe was kept relatively quiet, but he had standout moments in each series on both sides of the ball. As the American League Championship Series went seven games, Lowe found himself square in the middle of the production that the Rangers needed to close out their rivals from Houston.
Lowe registered a hit in each of the last six games against the Astros and crushed two homers while scoring four runs during the hotly contested series, slashing .259/.310/.519. In the World Series, the first baseman got a hit and scored in each of the three games in Arizona as the Rangers won their championship in the desert.
While his season batting line didn’t impress enough to earn a repeat as the league’s best hitter at his position, Lowe’s focus turned to improving his defense. The improvement was quite stark. Lowe ended the 2022 season as one of the league’s worst defenders, with a Defensive Runs Saved of negative 9. By the midpoint of 2023, Lowe had earned a place among the elite first basemen in the game, not necessarily by making over the top, spectacular plays, but by being a reliable performer.
Overall for the year, Lowe improved to a positive 3 DRS. Using another popular defensive metric, Outs Above Average, Lowe was 3rd best among American League 1st basemen with 5. But perhaps the most important metric, one used to determine the Rawlings’ Gold Glove Award winner, the SABR Defensive Index, Lowe ranked second among AL 1st basemen with a 3.4.
The turnaround from bottom of the barrel to Gold Glove winner for Lowe has been remarkable.
Lowe’s achievements earned him a nice pay bump, from $4.05 million in 2023 to $7.5 million for the coming year. The hope is that Lowe, upon his return, can bring the best of the past two seasons back to Arlington and be a feared presence with a bat and a steady hand with the glove.
Do you think Lowe will rediscover his power bat upon return in 2024? Share your thoughts with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB.
