Name: Rhett Lowder
School: Wake Forest
Position: RHP
Height/Weight: 6’2”, 200
D.O.B.: 3/8/2002
Scouting Report
In a difficult freshman year at Wake Forest, Rhett Lowder posted a 6.12 ERA and 1.493 WHIP. In 2023, those numbers are all but forgotten as he’s improved his output to a sparkling 1.92 ERA and 0.935 WHIP en route to a 15-0 won/lost record. Named ACC pitcher of the year in two consecutive seasons, he features one of the best changeups in the collegiate ranks. Effective on both right-handers and left-handers, he complements it with a low to mid-90s fastball that can reach 97.
Conventional wisdom indicates a pitcher needs a third pitch to be a starter at the big-league level. Lowder’s slider rates as average, but with more consistency, it can develop into a plus pitch. His ability to pound the zone puts his floor at a mid-rotation starter level. MLB Pipeline ranks the Deacons righty as the #8 overall player in the draft class. He repeats his delivery well with a floor that is much higher than his ceiling ultimately.
Similarly to recent first rounders from Wake Forest like Jared Shuster and Ryan Cusick, Lowder projects as a durable, mid-rotation starter. The 6-1, 200 pounder will probably be selected within the top ten picks this July. The 21-year-old should move quickly through a farm system. Baseball America ranks Lowder as the #10 overall player in the class. The publication notes that some clubs won’t like the right hander’s “open-toe, crossfire landing” in his delivery along with his “running fastball”. They acknowledge that it is a fairly safe profile and projection overall however.
Why Would the White Sox Draft Rhett Lowder?
The struggles of Lance Lynn at the big-league level and the injury to Davis Martin have put a spotlight on the lack of pitching depth in the upper minors. Sean Burke has grappled with control and inconsistency in Triple-A , and Birmingham’s Cristian Mena still needs some development time. The farm system has some promising arms in the lower levels of the minors, but adding someone with a shorter incubation period could help insulate the White Sox from their current lack of depth.
At 6’1” 200 pounds, Lowder doesn’t have much room for physical growth and with two major league-ready pitches, he could fill the sixth starter void quicker than most. Lowder would move quickly through the White Sox’s farm system and he would very likely be the best player available at #15 if he were to fall into that range. Close to the majors pitching depth is a need but every organization is always looking to add more mid-rotation starters throughout on an annual basis.
Mock Drafts
As one of the top two starters in the draft and the old adage that you can never have too much pitching, most mocks have Lowder off the board long before the White Sox get a shot at him. Only one major publication has him falling outside the Top ten, with Prospects Live projecting him at number 11, four slots before the White Sox go on the clock.
Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline projected Rhett Lowder to the Kansas City Royals at #8 overall in his latest mock draft. Keith Law of The Athletic mocked the righty to the Cincinnati Reds at #7 overall. Carlos Collazo of Baseball America projects Lowder all the way up at #6 to the Oakland Athletics. Joe Doyle of Future Stars Series and Kiley McDaniel at ESPN both sent Lowder to the Colorado Rockies with the #9 overall pick.
College Statistics
2021 ACC
14 G, 12 GS, 67.2 IP, 6.12 ERA, 1.493 WHIP, 22 BB, 78 K
2022 ACC
16 G, 16 GS, 99.1 IP, 3.08 ERA, 1.178 WHIP, 26 BB, 105 K
2023 ACC
15 G, 15 GS, 95.2 IP, 1.69 ERA, 0.951 WHIP, 19 BB, 114 K