4/4/23

Top 20 RHP on Draft - #4 - RHP - Rhett Lowder

 

Rhett Lowder

RHP Wake Forest

2022 WF stat line - 16-ST, 11-3, 3.08, 99-IP 105-K

2023 WF stat line as of

 

3-3-23 - Keith Law’s MLB Draft 2023 Rankings: -

#12 Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest

What I said about Waldrep’s changeup? Well, this is the competition. Waldrep’s has more action, but Lowder’s has more deception, and they’re both incredibly effective – Lowder has thrown his three pitches in almost equal proportions in two starts this year, and even last year he threw more non-fastballs than fastballs by a slim margin. He’s 92-95 mph and has a short mid-80s slider that’s probably average but plays up because hitters are always looking changeup.

 

2-27-23 - 2023 MLB Draft Preview: College players to watch -

Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest - Rhett Lowder is ranked in a spot that makes it less than likely that he falls to #24 as things stand today, but that could be where the Braves having four Top 100 picks comes into play. We all know how the Braves love their Wake Forest arms, due to Wake being excellent on the analytical side in developing their pitchers. Well Lowder is the most talented to date with a plus change and a fastball and slider that have each flashed as plus at times to go with above average command. Lowder isn’t going to be the highest ceiling college arm in the draft, but he does have upside as well as a fairly high floor for being a pitcher. That’s something the Braves love with their pitchers, a good mix of upside with likelihood to reach at least some of it. So that and his Wake Forest background make him a guy that the Braves will at the very least be taking a hard look at.

 

2-22-23 - https://d1baseball.com  

Rhett Lowder | RHP – The reigning ACC Pitcher of the Year and a Preseason All-American, Lowder was as good as advertised on Saturday, striking out 10 in five innings, allowing one run on four hits. After Illinois jumped out to a 1-0 lead, he appeared to settle down and get back to what he’s best at: showing advanced command of his three-pitch repertoire to elicit empty swings and weak contact. I counted 20 whiffs in just 82 pitches, 10 of which coming off his 82-86 mph slider with spin up to 2753. He could land this pitch wherever he wanted on Saturday, seemingly getting more sweep on it when thrown to the glove side while the pitch showed tighter cutting action when thrown arm side. Additionally, he showed tremendous feel for his changeup, a pitch he throws with deceptive arm speed.

 

2-6-23 - Prospect Live - Top 100 Prospects -

9. Rhett Lowder

Right-Handed Pitcher, Wake Forest

The reigning ACC Pitcher of the Year, Lowder has some of the best pitchability in the entire class. He's been into the mid-90's with the fastball, sitting in the low-90's later into starts with running life, mixing it with a good slider in the low-80's and a diabolical change-up with late parachute and fading life out of the zone in the mid-80's. It’s one of the best changeups in the class and comfortably projects plus. He can pitch backwards off the slider and change-up with ease and has good command and feel of his entire arsenal.

 

1-18-23 - Top 25 Breakdown: No. 6 Wake Forest

https://d1baseball.com/season-preview/top-25-breakdown-no-6-wake-forest/ 

Star Power: Rhett Lowder is one of the most complete and polished pitchers in college baseball, with the ability to miss bats with both a knockout slider and a deceptive changeup, as well as plenty of fastball velocity into the mid-90s. He’s a slam-dunk first-team preseason All-American, and Kurtz (a huge power hitter who also has rare control of the strike zone) and Wilken (one of the nation’s marquee sluggers) are also no-brainer All-Americans, with Minacci and McGraw also looking like legitimate contenders. That’s a ton of star power — and that’s not even mentioning Tommy Hawke, a speedy spark plug who posted a .502 OBP last year.

 

12-15-22 - 2023 MLB Mock Draft:

https://www.oddschecker.com/us/insight/baseball/mlb/20221215-2023-mlb-mock-draft-an-early-ranking-of-the-top-50-2023-mlb-draft-prospects 

6. Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest

Lawder won the ACC Pitcher of the Year last season. If he keeps up that kind of pitching, he will be a top-10 pick this season. Lowder has one of the best changeups in college baseball, and with excellent command and plenty of other pitches, he's got a ton of potential when he makes it in the MLB.

 

12-14-22 - Sox Machine

WAY-TOO-EARLY 2023 MLB MOCK DRAFT

https://soxmachine.com/2022/12/way-too-early-2023-mlb-mock-draft/

13. Chicago Cubs: Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest

Jed Hoyer, Dan Kantrovitz and the Cubs go back to the well and continue to add pitching to their pipeline. Lowder pitched well for Team USA and displayed a three-pitch mix after being named ACC Pitcher of the Year.

 

12-12-22 - MLB mock draft 2023

https://sportsnaut.com/mlb-mock-draft-2023/ 

8. Kansas City Royals: Rhett Lowder, starting pitcher, Wake Forest

MLB: Kansas City Royals at Toronto Blue Jays

John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a drop-off on the pitching side after Dollander, but at least one of the college arms will certainly be pushed up in ths months ahead. Rhett Lowder’s fastball-changeup combo took time to find success, but it all came together this past season and the slider is coming along. Three MLB-caliber pitches and the above-average command would put him on the fast track to the Kansas City Royals starting rotation.

 

Rhett Lowder stats (2022): 3,08 ERA, 105/26, 1.18 WHIP, 8.2 H/9, 9.5 K/9 in 99.1 IP

 

12-9-22 - 2023 MLB MOCK DRAFT 1.0

https://throughthefencebaseball.com/2023-mlb-mock-draft-1-0-pirates-taking-who/

9. Colorado Rockies: Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest

Lowder brings it. There’s a lot of Alek Manoah in his game. His two-seamer sits at 97, and his changeup is a plus pitch. Righty or lefty bats don’t matter; he eats them all up. There’s more in the tank coming as well. He’s a college arm who could compete for the top-pitcher grabbed when July’s draft rolls around.

 

12-7-22 - MLB DRAFT 2023: WINTER'S MOCK DRAFT - https://www.prepbaseballreport.com/news/PBR/MLB-Draft-2023-Mock-Draft-First-Edition-4397815602?s=03 - 

8

Royals

Rhett Lowder

RHP

Wake Forest; North Stanly HS (NC)

 The Royals have went college heavy in four of the past five drafts. That trend continues in 2023 with the Lowder, the 2022 ACC Pitcher of the Year, as the best available at No. 8.

 

12-6-22 - 2023 MLB DRAFT - MOCK DRAFT 2.0 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022-mlb-mock-draft-n78w7-st9r4-wa35p-2n5ls-8addg-ed27s?s=03 - 

8. Kansas City Royals

Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest 

There’s a lot of good college arms in this class and Lowder may be the best of the lot. Up to 97 with a plus, maybe better, changeup. Lowder has creative ways to get batters of both handedness out. His slider is solid average, maybe a tick better right now, but he’s got a whippy, athletic operation on the mound and some evaluators think there’s more in the tank coming.

 

11-4-22 - 2023 MLB Mock Draft 1.0 - https://www.perfectgame.org/articles/View.aspx?article=21422 -

17. Baltimore Orioles | Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest 

Baltimore has its choice of several college arms at this spot, and Lowder can be a good bet to go even earlier come July with his combination of present stuff and polish. The fastball lived mid-90s with two refined secondaries that both grade as above-average and both have distinct shape and break. It’s a well-built arsenal and the ability to fill the zone at a very high level. -IB

 

12-2-22 - 2022 Fall Report: Wake Forest - https://d1baseball.com/fall-report/2022-wake-forest/?goal=0_98c95d11a2-2375b409ba-536911606&mc_cid=2375b409ba&mc_eid=b3ee91b95b - 

Wake Forest’s weekend rotation is as talented as any in the country, right there with the likes of Tennessee, LSU, Florida and Arkansas. And if you’re making a list of college baseball’s best pitchers this year, it must start with Tennessee’s Chase Dollander (the reigning SEC pitcher of the year) and Wake’s Rhett Lowder (the reigning ACC pitcher of the year). They are also the top two pitchers on our recent Top 100 College Prospects list for the 2023 draft. The Deacs shut Lowder down this fall after he logged 99.1 innings last spring (going 11-3, 3.08 with a 105-26 K-BB mark) and then served as Team USA’s ace in the summer, but he’s the definition of a proven commodity, with three legitimate out pitches in a 92-95 fastball, a deceptive changeup with excellent fade and arm speed, and a sharp 82-84 slider with tight tilt.

1 comment:

Tom Brennan said...

Lowder looks good, and we have louder fans.