The otheTroy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Jed Lowrie has always been a very appealing player. The Boston Red Sox drafted him as a supplemental pick in the first round in 2005. The former Standford Cardinal came with high expectations. He never quite met expectations in Bean Town, but he showed some real promise last season for the Houston Astros.
Despite being attracted to indues. Lowrie put up solid offensive numbers from the shortstop position. In 97 games, he hit 16 HRs and drove in 42 runs but batted a measly .244. What was suprisingly impressive with Lowrie was his fielding. He had a .980 fielding percentage and a range factor of 4.49 (putouts and assists divided by the number of innings at a particular position). Both of these numbers are impressive and show that Lowrie can play shortstop.
Don’t let his lower batting average fool you, because Lowrie can get on base. Even with his .244 average last season, he managed a .331 on-base average. In his career, he’s a lifetime .250 hitter with a .326 on base average. Along with showing some pop, he will be a catalyst by getting on base.
But the problem with Lowrie is his health. When he’s healthy, he is proving to be a solid major leaguer, but unfortunately, he just can’t stay on the field. This is going to be a really bad season for the ‘Stros, but giving Lowrie a chance to develop would be a good use of this throwaway season. Again, the guy has to stay out of the training room and on the field.
For fantasy owners, Lowrie may be a sleeper late in your draft. While he doesn’t jump off the page, he may be a good bench player or an emergency infielder. But if he continues to develop offensively, you’re looking at a potential steal.
