Bulls' Lowe dazzles in Triple-A debut
Nathaniel Lowe has rocketed through the Rays organization this season. On Wednesday night, he showcased his talents at yet another level.Tampa Bay's No. 12 prospect knocked three hits and scored a career-high four runs in his International League debut as Triple-A Durham rolled over Columbus, 17-2, at Durham Bulls Athletic
Nathaniel Lowe has rocketed through the Rays organization this season. On Wednesday night, he showcased his talents at yet another level.
Tampa Bay's No. 12 prospect knocked three hits and scored a career-high four runs in his International League debut as Triple-A Durham rolled over Columbus, 17-2, at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Gameday box score
"It was really fun, getting to go out there against a higher level of competition," Lowe said. "Those guys are not here on accident. The pitchers are guys who are big league quality who the clubs maybe don't have room for or just aren't quite ready. To get three knocks out of this game, it was a pretty good start and great for my confidence to finish off the year here."
After knocking a pair of hits and scoring twice Monday at Double-A Pensacola, the first baseman exited the game in the sixth when Montgomery bench coach Gary Redus broke the news of his promotion. Lowe packed quickly and drove halfway to Durham on Tuesday, squeezing in a round of golf at The Frog Golf Course outside Atlanta. He arrived Wednesday around 1 p.m. ET and managed to pick up right where he left off with the Biscuits.
Lowe delivered a two-out RBI double to left field in the first inning that scored Andrew Velazquez. He crossed the plate three batters later on Micah Johnson's grounder to shortstop as the Bulls grabbed a 4-0 lead.
"That first time up, I was just try to hit it hard with my first swing, and I really didn't make great contact," he said. "But the ball carried better than I expected. After that, I connected on a breaking ball and a changeup, which was an exciting way to start.
"I want to put up power numbers at this level. I'm going to hit singles and see the ball well and work counts, but knowing that I can drive the ball off the best Minor League pitchers will be a big confidence boost heading toward the offseason and into Spring Training."
Lowe was plunked by reliever Luke Eubank in the second and ended up scoring again when Johnson lined a single to right. With Durham leading, 7-1, the Mississippi State product led off an eight-run fourth with a line-drive single to center and scored on a two-out double to right by Adam Moore. Lowe's third hit came later in the frame, he roped another single to center before Nick Ciuffo plated him with a knock to center.
The big night was quite a treat for his debut, Lowe said.
"It was exciting because these guys are older and more mature players," he said. "Watching everyone do their thing that inning, we really fed off each other. We had five doubles in a row until I broke the streak."
After grounding out in the sixth, Lowe struck out in the eighth.
The 23-year-old returned to Class A Advanced Charlotte to begin the season and batted .356/.432/.588 with 10 homers in 51 games in his second Florida State League stint. He said his assignment this spring helped spurn his breakout season because he realized nothing was going to be handed to him.

"I think I would have felt pushed along a bit, like I cheated out of high-A because I didn't feel like I did anything to deserve it last year," Lowe said. "It was an OK season, but nothing to hang my hat on. I made it my goal this offseason to put pressure on them to keep me moving as long as I keep playing well. With them sending me the the Futures Game, it shows they value me, and that's great."
After a promotion to Double-A Montgomery on June 7, he continued to rake, belting 13 homers while hitting .342 in 50 games in the Southern League.
Austin Meadows went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored for Durham, which totaled a season-high 21 hits. Kean Wong also collected three hits, scoring twice and driving in two runs, while Velazquez was 3-for-5 with two doubles and three runs.
Bulls starter Ryan Weber (7-4) yielded one run on one hit over five innings. He struck out four and walked one.
Nathan Brown is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @NathanBrownNYC.
10 prospects at Spring Training who are lighting up Statcast
One of the best parts of Spring Training every year is getting to see the top prospects in baseball. A lot of the time, it's the first look fans get at MLB's future stars. But we also know a lot more about those prospects going into Spring Training than we
Questions plague Peeples' trailblazing story
A version of this story previously appeared on MiLB.com in 2007. We present it again as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
Prospects to watch this spring -- one for each team
Spring may not have arrived quite yet, but Spring Training has! Players have reported to camp and exhibition games kick off Thursday with the Cubs visiting the Dodgers in Glendale, Ariz.
8 of the best team matchups in Spring Breakout
After Spring Breakout's dynamic debut last year, the prospect showcase event returns in full force for 2025. All 30 Major League teams will field squads of top prospects to face off in 16 games from March 13-16 -- the Cubs and Nationals will play twice since there's an odd number
Fowler: A 19th-century baseball pioneer
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
Everything you need to know about prospects and Spring Training
This story was excerpted from MLB Pipeline's newsletter. Subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Arkansas-based Mariners affiliate to honor legacy of the Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine sounds like it could be the name of a baseball team playing in Arkansas' capital city, and for three nights during the 2025 season, it will be. The story behind the name transcends baseball, however. From Aug. 21-23, the Arkansas Travelers -- Seattle's Double-A affiliate --
MiLB podcast breaks down Spring Training storylines
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Leaf Peepers? Thunder Chickens?! Coming to the Minors this year
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Dodgers greats Newcombe and Campanella made history as Minors teammates
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
15 prospects primed for a bounceback season from injury
A lot of players will be getting a fresh start heading into the 2025 season. Prospects who missed significant time due to injury have had upwards of six months between regular-season games to return to health. Now they'll be looking to re-establish their value and maybe even reach new heights.
Check out the newest Minor League team logos for 2025
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Here are 18 prospects who also starred on the gridiron
The two-time defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs are set to meet the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, and plenty of baseball prospects will be keeping a close eye. After all, many current Minor Leaguers played football at a high level before committing fully to the diamond. No, there aren't any
Did you know the Superdome was once home to a Minor League team?
On Sunday, one of the world’s most-watched sporting events will take place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Believe it or not, decades before Super Bowl LIX came to town, the same building was home to a Minor League Baseball team for one season. The 1977 Triple-A New Orleans Pelicans
How a Black pitcher's brief PCL stint in 1916 generated a historic card
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2010. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
The Show Before the Show: Episode 489
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minors legend Jones still holds batting record
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2008. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers. Grover "Deacon" Jones spent more than a half-century in baseball, serving the game at almost every level and in
Hooks have a new look -- and more -- on the line for 20th season
In advance of a milestone season at Whataburger Field, the Corpus Christi Hooks are making a change. The Houston Astros' Double-A affiliate unveiled new logos and uniforms on Friday evening, marking the first time they have significantly altered their look since debuting in 2005. According to Hooks general manager Brady
Here's how Jackie Robinson fueled Montreal to a Minor League title in 1946
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
They're due! MiLB's longest active title droughts
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
These players could earn teams extra Draft picks in 2025
Since the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) was implemented under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, four players have earned their clubs extra Draft picks. The PPI rewards teams for promoting their best prospects to the big leagues at the start of the season, enabling them to earn a Draft pick if
Each team's best non-Top 100 prospect
There just isn't enough room to fit all the worthy talents on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. We unveiled our latest rankings last Friday, and now we're going to spotlight the best prospect in each farm system who couldn't quite make the cut. We undertook the same exercise last