Brandon Lowe Sets Another Impressive Pirates' Milestone

What Makes Lowe's Milestone So Impressive

Lowe's 30 home runs this season are not a commonality for the Pirates, as he is just the 17th player to do so in franchise history.

Lowe is the first Pirates player with 30 home runs since Josh Bell hit 37 home runs in his 2019 All-Star season.

He is also the first Pirates left-handed batter to hit 30 home runs since Pedro Álvarez did so in 2013 with 36 in his lone All-Star campaign.

It marks his third season with 30 home runs, with a career-high 39 in 2021, and back-to-back seasons doing so, with 31 in 2025.

"I feel like 30 is that cool number that everybody wants to get to," Lowe said postgame. "30 homers in a season, on a personal statistics side of things, is a great thing to have."

Lowe Showing Consistent Power in Career

The Pirates traded for Lowe this past offseason, adding a power bat to bolster a lineup that hit the least in 2025 (117) and dominate at PNC Park, with dimensions suited for left-handed home run hitters.

Lowe has done that with his 30 home runs in 2026 and his 16 at PNC Park, all of which have come to right field.

His 30 home runs this season are the most ever by a Pirates second baseman, eclipsing Neil Walker's 23 he hit in 2014.

Lowe leads all MLB second basemen in home runs and slugging percentage (.477), and ranks second with a .803 OPS to the Brewers' Brice Turang (.810).

It's been something Lowe has shown throughout his career, but especially when he's been healthy, something that's been hard for him at times.

Lowe has hit 20+ home runs each season he's played at least 100 games, and 30+ home runs whenever he's played at least 130 games.

Brandon Lowe Games + Home Runs Per Season

Lowe has credited his home runs to his health this season, thanking Pirates head athletic trainer Joel Harris for keeping him on the field.

"Other than the number on the stat sheet, that’s kind of the biggest thing," Lowe said on his health. "I think the biggest thing of it all is just staying healthy. Big shoutout to the guys in the training room. I’m in here every day.

"Joel’s working with me every single day to make sure that I’m feeling good enough to be out there on the field. When you’re out there, you get enough games under your belt, the stats usually follow."