Nathaniel Lowe is in the spotlight today as opening day approaches. The top seed was just the subject of a major trade after spending the 2024 season with the defending champions, though they missed the postseason.
Until Opening Day, which is 94 days away, Sportskeeda will be counting down the featured players, examining what they’ve done in the past, as well as offering some predictions about what it will be like in 2025. Lowe comes in as the next player on the countdown.
Lowe was with Texas Rangers and despite their overall struggles as a team, he had a very solid year. He had a 2.8 fWAR and a 121 wRC+ in 140 games. He hit .265 with a very solid .762 OPS.
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Lowe will not be a free agent until the end of the 2026 season, but the Rangers decided to move him to the Washington Nationals. The Nats were expected to be aggressive in their pursuit of a first baseman on the open market, but instead opted out of this trade. In return, the Rangers received left-hander Roberto Garcia.
Nathaniel Lowe’s first year prediction for the Nationals
Nathaniel Lowe is coming to the Washington Nationals, who are slowly building a roster of promising young players. Lowe was with the Texas Rangers after his first two seasons (2020 and 2021) with Tampa Bay Rays.
He hit just 16 home runs last season, and that number would have been 15 with the Nationals, so don’t expect the park to lead to an increase in production. In terms of the park factor, Globe Life Field and Nationals Park are mildly hitter-friendly, ranking 10th and 11th, respectively, among all MLB parks.
Fangraphs predicts a slight decline in production. Expect a 114 wRC+, .258 batting average and .347 on-base percentage. The Nationals’ lineup doesn’t necessarily offer more protection than the Rangers, so the team likely won’t help Lowe improve.
Fangraphs expects slightly better power numbers. They project two more home runs and a .411 slugging percentage compared to .401 in 2024. However, that only leads to an expected fWAR of 1.9, down from 2024.
Our Prediction: Lowe provides some pop with 19 home runs and fits well in his new lineup. He is batting .255 with a .356 on-base percentage, adding a 119 wRC+ and solid defense for a 2.5 fWAR season.
Edited by Nadim El Kak
