Rhett Lowder was one of the best college baseball pitchers in the nation last season for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. With the 2023 MLB Draft coming up, it is a great time to take a closer look at what teams are going to be looking at when he is still available on their draft board.
What are some significant factors of Rhett Lowder to determine if he is right for a Major League Baseball team?
What is Rhett Lowder's height and weight?
Rhett Lowder is listed at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds according to MLB's official website. The right-handed starting pitcher is someone with some experience dominating the opposing hitter but does not have a large frame. That does not mean he will be ineffective, but he does not have a dominating presence.
What pitches does Lowder throw?
Heading into the draft, Lowder has a three-pitch arsenal with his fastball, slider and changeup. His changeup was one of the best in the country at the collegiate level as it was able to fade against hitters on both sides of the plate.
It played well with Lowder's fastball that regularly sat between 92-95 MPH and has topped out at 97 MPH. However, it will not be too surprising to see his heater gain a few ticks as MLB teams are getting him to be stronger and have more technology to increase his power.
How did he do in college baseball?
Lowder struggled as a freshman for the Demon Deacons as he pitched to a 6.12 ERA in 14 games with 12 starts. However, he was able to turn it around and was one of the most dominant pitchers fans have seen in a long time during the 2023 college baseball season.
HNotably, he broke the single-season records for wins, strikeouts and win-loss percentage in Wake Forest program history. He finished the year going a perfect 15-0 with 143 strikeouts and a 2.24 ERA over 120.1 innings of work.
When should we expect to hear a team select Lowder in the draft?
Lowder is one of the best pitchers that are eligible to be drafted this year and teams are always looking to bolster their pitching staffs. It would not be a surprise if he were to get selected within the first 10 picks in the 2024 MLB Draft.
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