Brandon Lowe Believes in Pirates' Playoff Potential
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The most resonant message from Brandon Lowe’s introductory press conference as a Pittsburgh Pirate was not about his own fresh start, or his vision of launching home runs out of PNC Park and into the Allegheny River.
Rather, it was his bold, confident assessment of the team he just joined. After spending his entire Major League career with the consistently competitive Tampa Bay Rays, the veteran infielder looks at the Pirates’ roster and sees a potential path to October baseball in Pittsburgh for the first time since 2015.
“As for the team that's currently there, I feel like there's a real opportunity there for a deep push and some playoff baseball in Pittsburgh,” Lowe said, offering a straightforward endorsement that instantly became the headline of his presser.
The 31-year-old spoke with reporters over ZOOM after the Pirates officially announced his acquisition over the weekend. Lowe was the centerpiece of the Pirates trade with the Rays and Houston Astros. They also acquired outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery in the trade. Pittsburgh parted with starting pitcher Mike Burrows, who went to Houston. Tampa Bay acquired Jacob Melton and Anderson Brito from Houston in the three-team deal.
A Playoff Foundation in Pittsburgh?
Lowe’s belief is not based on mere optimism. He pointed directly to the foundation he sees in place, a tangible core of players that he referenced at different times during the press conference, including Paul Skenes, Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz.
“The pitching staff is legit,” he stated. “The hitters, they have some extremely talented guys that play in the field.” This objective evaluation from a player who has been part of 29 postseason games, including a World Series run in 2020, carries significant weight. His excitement to join the fabric of the city was also evident, citing the allure of “a storied franchise” and “probably one of the best home ballparks in baseball.” But his focus quickly returned to the present-day opportunity, emphasizing he is “excited to kind of come and help in any way that I can.”
That help extends beyond his left-handed bat and defensive versatility. Lowe brings a specific, hard-earned pedigree: the experience of navigating a 162-game grind with the singular goal of reaching the postseason, and then understanding what to do once you arrive. He plans to be a resource in the clubhouse, drawing directly from his time with the Rays’ culture.
“Having the experience, I will be an open book to anybody that wants to hear my thoughts on it,” he offered. “I think the biggest thing to getting there is to not focus on it.”
When asked if he sensed Tampa Bay’s rise from a 90-loss team in 2017 to a 90-win playoff team in 2019, Lowe noted he arrived as the tide was turning, but identified a key component. “It just seemed like we had a good team. I kind of traced back to the clubhouse on that aspect... You definitely want that good clubhouse vibe.” This underscores an intangible he can help foster in Pittsburgh, a city whose last playoff baseball moment was the 2015 Wild Card game.
Lowe's Blueprint for Success
Perhaps Lowe’s most valuable insight is his roadmap to achieving that playoff goal. He cautions against the very dream he’s endorsing, stressing a disciplined, day-by-day process forged in the crucible of the American League East division.
“We get there, we can jump that bridge,” he said. “I think the first thing you do is understand that postseason baseball, it can be the goal, it can be the endgame, but in Spring Training, the first four, five months of the year, don't even focus on it. Don't think about postseason baseball until August, September or after you clinch.”
He described the playoff atmosphere as “a completely different animal from the season, from everything else. It's a different beast.” This is the perspective the Pirates, with a roster mostly full of players with no postseason experience, are acquiring. Lowe has lived through the heightened pressure, the strategic shifts, and the razor-thin margins that define October. The exact same recipe for success that Pirates fans have been craving for over ten years now.
Lowe’s acquisition represents the notable addition of a proven power hitter with a strong offensive track record. But his first-day comments revealed another asset: a credible postseason voice who has publicly stated his belief that Pittsburgh has the potential to contend.
He is not predicting a miracle; he is identifying a legitimate rotation, a crop of talented position players, and a timeline he recognizes. By declaring the opportunity real, Lowe has immediately embraced the expectations the Pirates are hoping to build and provided a veteran’s blueprint for how to fulfill them.
Ethan Merrill is from Grand Rapids, MI, and brings with him a diverse background of experiences. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, he worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks for three seasons before settling in the Pittsburgh area in 2020. With a passion for sports and a growing connection to his community, Ethan brings a fresh perspective to covering the Pittsburgh Pirates.