Rays grades: 2023 was a breakout season for Josh Lowe

In 2023, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe finished with a .292 average and collected a staggering number of extra-base hits (55). He was tied for second on the team, just two short of team leader Yandy Diaz. His season was really boosted by a good performance after the All-Star break. In that time, he batted .300+ and was the team leader in stolen bases (13) over that stretch. He finished the season top five in the American League in stolen bases. 

Lowe also was one of six Rays players to crack the 20-home run mark as he hit 20 flat through the entire season. This helped his slugging percentage increase to .500 which ranked in the 82nd percentile in major league baseball.

Lowe struggled with plate discipline throughout the season. According to Baseball Savant, his whiff and chase rate ranked in just the 12th and 20th percentiles in MLB. It will be something to look at to see whether or not Lowe can gain this over time. There is time to develop this, however, due to the short amount of time he has been at the major-league level.

One situational area Lowe excelled at was batting with runners in scoring position. He batted .340 with runners on second and third base and batted a staggering .453 with runners on those same bases and two outs. 

Despite flaws with plate discipline, Lowe took huge strides in overall batting and that combined with his speed around the bases counted for a lot of extra base hits and RBI knocks. By the end of the Rays' season, he put himself on the map as a key part of the lineup going forward. He is on a trajectory towards a successful baseball career.

Josh Lowe 2023 Season Grade: B+