Josh Lowe Bio
Joshua Edward Lowe is an American professional baseball outfielder who currently plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays, the organization that selected him with the 13th pick in the first round of the 2016 MLB draft. Across his major league career, Lowe has built a resume that includes 48 home runs, 184 runs batted in, and 80 stolen bases. He has become known for his athleticism, switch-hitting ability, and outfield versatility.
Early Life and Background
Joshua Edward Lowe was born on February 2, 1998, and grew up in a household with a strong athletic and military background. His father, David, was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 1986 MLB draft before choosing to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, where he became a Naval Aviator and a career fighter pilot in the United States Navy. That mix of professional baseball pedigree and disciplined military service shaped the environment in which Josh developed as a young athlete.
Lowe attended Pope High School in Marietta, Georgia, where he played third base and also worked as a pitcher on the mound. As a senior, he was named the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year for Georgia after hitting .391 with 11 home runs and 39 runs batted in. Following his standout prep career, he committed to play college baseball for the Florida State Seminoles, setting the stage for his transition into the professional ranks.
Path to Baseball
Lowe’s path to professional baseball accelerated quickly after his senior season at Pope High School. The Tampa Bay Rays selected him with the 13th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 MLB draft, and he signed with the club rather than enrolling at Florida State. He split his first professional season between the Gulf Coast League Rays and the Princeton Rays, batting a combined .249 with five home runs and 26 runs batted in across 54 games.
In 2017, Lowe moved up to the Bowling Green Hot Rods, where he batted .268 with eight home runs, 55 runs batted in, and 22 stolen bases in 118 games. He also began playing exclusively as an outfielder that season, a position change that has defined his professional profile. He spent 2018 with the Charlotte Stone Crabs, hitting .238 with six home runs, 47 runs batted in, and 18 stolen bases in 105 games, before beginning 2019 with the Montgomery Biscuits and later being selected to play for the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League.
Josh Lowe Career
Early Career (2016-2019)
During his first four professional seasons, Lowe worked his way steadily through the Rays’ minor league system. He showed flashes of power and speed at each level, including a 22-steal season with Bowling Green in 2017 and a 18-steal campaign with the Charlotte Stone Crabs in 2018. His selection to the Arizona Fall League following the 2019 season pointed to a prospect on the rise within the organization.
On November 20, 2020, the Rays added Lowe to their 40-man roster, protecting him from the Rule 5 draft and signaling that his major league debut was approaching. He was assigned to the Triple-A Durham Bulls to open the 2021 season and delivered a strong showing, slashing .291/.381/.535 with 22 home runs, 78 runs batted in, and 26 stolen bases in 111 games.
Tampa Bay Rays Breakthrough (2021-2025)
Lowe received his first major league call-up on September 8, 2021. In his debut, he drew a walk and stole a base before collecting his first career hit, a single off Boston Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi. The brief audition offered an early glimpse of the patience and speed that would become trademarks of his game.
On April 30, 2022, Lowe hit his first career home run, a milestone that came against Dylan Bundy of the Minnesota Twins. He appeared in 52 games for the Rays that season, posting a .221/.284/.343 line with two home runs and 13 runs batted in as he continued his adjustment to major league pitching. In 2023, he broke through more clearly, making 135 appearances and batting .292/.335/.500 with 20 home runs, 83 runs batted in, and 32 stolen bases, establishing himself as an everyday contributor.
Lowe made 106 appearances for the Rays in 2024, slashing .241/.302/.391 with 10 home runs, 34 runs batted in, and 25 stolen bases. He followed that with 108 appearances in 2025, batting .220/.283/.366 with 11 home runs, 40 runs batted in, and 18 stolen bases, providing steady outfield play and base-running value for Tampa Bay.
Los Angeles Angels Era (2026-Present)
On January 16, 2026, the Rays traded Lowe to the Los Angeles Angels as part of a three-team deal. In that transaction, the Angels sent Brock Burke to the Cincinnati Reds, while the Reds sent Gavin Lux to the Tampa Bay Rays. The move gave Lowe a fresh opportunity with an Angels club looking to add athleticism and outfield depth.
Through the early portion of his time in Anaheim, Lowe has continued to serve as an everyday outfielder, wearing jersey number 3 for the Angels. His combination of power, speed, and on-base skills has fit the profile the front office sought when completing the trade, and he remains a key piece of the Los Angeles outfield picture.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Lowe’s signature moments, his first career home run off Dylan Bundy in 2022 and his first major league hit off Nathan Eovaldi in 2021 stand out as defining early memories. Reaching the major leagues as a first-round pick and later being part of a three-team trade for an established veteran like Gavin Lux underscored how his value had grown across his time in the Rays system. His 20-home run, 32-stolen base season in 2023 also marked his most well-rounded statistical year to date.
Josh Lowe Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Joshua Edward Lowe comes from a family with deep ties to both professional baseball and the United States military. His father, David Lowe, was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 1986 MLB draft before deciding to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, where he became a Naval Aviator and a career fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy. That unusual blend of athletic talent and military discipline has been a defining element of Lowe’s upbringing.
Personal Life
Lowe’s older brother, Nathaniel Lowe, also plays in Major League Baseball, continuing the family’s presence at the highest level of the sport. The two brothers were teammates at Bowling Green before Nathaniel was promoted to the High-A Charlotte Stone Crabs. Despite sharing a last name, Josh is not related to his former Tampa Bay Rays teammate Brandon Lowe, who was drafted a year earlier, a point the two have clarified publicly.
2025 Season Performance
During the 2025 campaign, Josh Lowe appeared in 108 games for the Tampa Bay Rays, batting .220/.283/.366 with 11 home runs, 40 runs batted in, and 18 stolen bases. While the offensive numbers were more modest than his 2023 breakout, he continued to provide the Rays with outfield defense, switch-hitting balance, and base-running value. His ability to play all three outfield spots gave Tampa Bay flexibility in how it constructed its daily lineup.
Lowe’s role in 2025 also reflected the Rays’ preference for versatile position players who can move around the diamond and create length in the batting order. Though he did not return to the power and on-base numbers of his 2023 peak, his all-around contributions kept him firmly in the team’s outfield mix. That consistency, combined with the trade discussions that followed the season, helped set the stage for his January 2026 move to the Los Angeles Angels.
