Lowder has opposition seeing Red in Triple-A debut

Rhett Lowder was packing up on Sunday night in preparation for Double-A Chattanooga’s away series in Mississippi when he got a phone call from Lookouts manager Jose Moreno.

As it turned out, the MLB’s No. 35 prospect wasn't going to join the team on the road since he was promoted for the second time this year. Four days later, Lowder was going over his game plan with his new Triple-A Louisville batterymate, veteran MLB catcher Tucker Barnhart, at Louisville Slugger Field.

The Reds' 2023 first-round selection made a strong first impression by twirling six scoreless innings and striking seven batters, allowing just three hits without a walk. Lowder capped his outing by fanning Gwinnett's Sandy Leon in the seventh inning on a 95-mph four-seam fastball that caught the corner of the zone. The right-hander promptly spun around and walked toward the dugout with a spring in his step.

“The whole day was fun," said Lowder after the Bats ultimately fell to the Stripers, 7-2. “It was a close game. Just getting that one, it was a well-educated pitch, and it was one that Tucker fired me up for.”

Even after moving up to the highest level of the Minors, the Wake Forest product didn’t deviate from his normal routine. And while he noticed that hitters at that level don’t chase as many pitches, Lowder didn’t feel the need to make major adjustments during the outing..

Part of that had to do with the comfort level the Reds’ No. 2 prospect felt with Barnhart.

“It gave me a lot of confidence,” Lowder said. “We didn't have a super long meeting pregame. He's never caught me, so we laid out my stuff, and he went over the hitters and quickly got on the same page. It was awesome having him call pitches back there.”

After pitching in the MLB Spring Breakout Showcase during Spring Training, Lowder started the year in High-A. While those might be daunting tasks for other 22-year-olds, he embraced the journey's challenges both on and off the field.

In January, Lowder received the most votes for “best pitchability” in MLB Pipeline’s annual executive poll, a strong indication he was on pace to ascend quickly through the farm system.

“There's been a lot of moving around,” Lowder said. “I feel good with ... my game, so I just wanted to stick to it and then don't change anything from level to level.

“I kind of ran into it a little bit in Double-A where I had to figure some stuff out. I just told myself, ‘I'm in a good spot right now. I just want to keep that going.’”

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Lowder, who did not pitch in organized ball after he was drafted by Cincinnati last season, has eclipsed 102 2/3 innings this year and said his body feels “great.” While he is knocking on the door of the Majors, the hard-throwing pitcher is still making strides to be as prepared as possible when the time comes.

He feels he's completely transformed from the pitcher he was in February at the Reds complex in Goodyear, Ariz., to being on the cusp of The Show during the dog days of summer.

“My game plan has really come a long way,” Lowder said. “It was early, and I was new to pro ball. I was just out there trying to throw my stuff and see how hitters react. And I feel like I've got enough innings now to know what I'm supposed to do and how to attack hitters.”