Nathaniel Lowe is in his second full season with the Rangers. Like 2021, this season, he got off to a blazing start. However, Lowe cooled off in May and rose back high in June, similar to last season. The difference is that Nathaniel is showing some production in July, which deviates away from the trending pace of a year ago. Lowe is also more productive each month than 2021 if you take the years side-by-side. “It’s been pretty average,” Nathaniel Lowe told me in evaluating his season. “There’s been highs and lows, but I feel like as a whole, it’s been pretty average.”

Nathaniel Lowe continues solidifying himself as a southpaw killer (I made this nickname up). Like a year ago, Lowe is hitting better against lefties than against righties which each statistical category slightly higher than 2021. “Lowe’s at-bat quality has been pretty good, especially against lefties,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “He’s our best guy against lefties right now. It’s hard to find production like that for both left and right, especially those numbers against lefties are off the chart.” For Lowe, the key is success against the fastball. “I feel like I’m doing better with fastballs, but not great,” Lowe told me. “He stays in there pretty well, stays on the breaking ball, [and] has been better against the fastball,” Woodward said about Nathaniel. “[In] the first base position, you need to hit [and] he’s taken that to heart.”

Defensively, Lowe has had good spurts and not-so-good spurts at first base. “I have to get a couple more balls, and then the right at me will look a little better. I’ve got eaten up on two in-between hops the last three or four days, and it’s pretty embarrassing, but that’s part of growing as a player,” Lowe told me last week. However, Chris Woodward is noticing the upward trend in Lowe’s defense. “He’s gotten batter, and I know there have been little hiccups here on the defensive side, but he’s played a lot better over there,” Chris said. “We’ve challenged him on the intent behind every play and making sure he’s not taking anything for granted.”

Best SLG among LHB vs. LHP, 2022

1–LOWE, .635
2–Tucker, .529
3–Devers, .524

…not even close!

His LonL OPS since 2021 is Top 10 in MLB ahead of guys like Soto, Devers, Freeman, and others!

— Jared Sandler (@JaredSandler) July 7, 2022

Evaluation:

There are several ways you can look at Nathaniel Lowe’s 2022 season. Production-wise, the RBI totals will go down because he’s lower in the lineup, and there’s more thump to produce runs. The on-base percentage slightly decreased, but Lowe is statically hitting better than he did in 2021. Nathaniel isn’t hitting the ball as hard as going to the opposite field as much, but it’s not a substantial difference. On the defense side, I feel like the miscues are more noticeable and in more crucial spots than in 2021. Lowe’s defensive runs saved are taking a more significant hit than last year, but he’s at a 0 in good fielding plays runs saved compared to -1. Nathaniel’s range is statically better, too, according to the metrics.

NATHANIEL LOWE TIES IT!@Rangers | #StraightUpTX | 📺: BSSW pic.twitter.com/Gnh5w37ibq

— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) July 6, 2022

The coaching staff reiterated to start 2022, they want to see Nathaniel Lowe take that next step, and so has he? I wouldn’t say he’s jumped up another step, but I wouldn’t go as far as saying he’s backing up any steps. “I feel like I’m in a better spot, and that just comes from being around,” Lowe told me. “I still think there’s another level to it all,” Chris Woodward said. The good news for Rangers fans is that Lowe’s second half was better in 2021 than his first. Therefore, if Nathaniel’s trends continue, that’ll bode well for the Rangers’ offense.