Oakland Athletic Infielder Jed Lowrie Is Underrated
Whatever happened to switch hitters in baseball? It seems you can only count their dwindling numbers on one hand. It sure is cool when you see someone able to repeat their success for the most part from both sides of the plate. Asdrubal Cabrera and Yasmani Grandal are currently the most prominent players with success as switch hitters, but one that for sure slips people’s minds is Jed Lowrie, who’s totally underrated.
For a long time, it seemed that Jed Lowrie didn’t really have a place in baseball. He was your utility Boston Red Sock, your utility Houston Astro. This all changed, however, when the Oakland A’s picked him up. In his first full season as a shortstop in 2013, Lowrie batted .290 with 15 home runs, 75 runs batted in, 45 doubles, and a .344 on-base percentage. In the next few years, he battled injuries, struggled again as an Astro, and then served a second stint as an A.
This move proved worthwhile, as Lowrie became the everyday second baseman. 2017 was a return to his production of 2013, hitting .277 with 14 home runs, a .808 OBP as well as a .360 on-base percentage. His follow-up in 2018 was even more remarkable. He added more power to his game, slugging 23 home runs and driving in 99 runs. He also earned an appearance in the all-star game and received MVP votes.
Here’s great proof that nothing good ever comes out of being a New York Met. The Mets signed Lowrie to a two-year deal after the 2018 season, and almost on cue, suffered a knee sprain basically right away. He only had seven at-bats, all in pinch-hitting roles, and didn’t take the field once. In 2020, he didn’t play whatsoever. Crazy enough, Lowrie served a THIRD stint in 2021 with the Athletics. It’s almost poetic that he’s off to an incredibly hot start. Through 14 games, he’s batting .360 with 12 runs batted in. Moral of the story? Never go to the New York Mets.
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