| Rhett Lowder | |
|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds – No. 25 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (2002-03-08)March 8, 2002 (age 23) Albemarle, North Carolina, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 30, 2024, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 2–2 |
| Earned run average | 1.17 |
| Strikeouts | 22 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Rhett Hamilton Lowder (born March 8, 2002) is an American professionalbaseballpitcher for theCincinnati Reds ofMajor League Baseball (MLB).
Lowder attended North Stanly High School inNew London, North Carolina, where he playedbaseball. During his sophomore season in 2018, he pitched a 9–2 record and with a 1.03 ERA.[1] As a junior in 2019, he went 9–0 with a 0.61 ERA, 115 strikeouts, and seven walks over 68.1 innings.[2] His senior season in 2020 was shortened due to theCOVID-19 pandemic and he was unselected in the shortened2020 Major League Baseball draft, leading to him enrolling atWake Forest University to playcollege baseball.
During his freshman season at Wake Forest in 2021, Lowder appeared in 14 games (making 12 starts) in which he went 4–2 with a 6.12 ERA, 78 strikeouts, and 14 home runs allowed over 67.2 innings.[3] That summer, he played for the Strasburg Express of theValley Baseball League.[4] As a sophomore in 2022, Lowder started 16 games and pitched to an 11–3 record with a 3.08 ERA, 105 strikeouts and 26 walks over 99.1 innings.[5] He was named theAtlantic Coast Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Year, becoming the first ever player from Wake Forest to win the award.[6] Following the season's end, he was named to theUSA Baseball Collegiate National Team .[7]
In 2023, Lowder went 15–0, leadingNCAA Division I in wins, and also finished in the top 10 nationally in ERA (1.87), strikeouts (a school-record 143), andWHIP (0.95), playing a key role in the Deacons' run to theMen's College World Series. Lowder repeated as the ACC Pitcher of the Year, and was also a consensus first-team All-American, the ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and the men'sACC Athlete of the Year across all sports, sharing the last of these honors with women's winnerKatelyn Tuohy ofNC State cross country and track.[8][9]
TheCincinnati Reds selected Lowder in the first round, with the seventh overall selection, of the2023 MLB draft. On July 14, 2023, Lowder signed with the Reds for an under slot deal worth $5.7 million.[10] Lowder made his professional debut in 2024 with the High–ADayton Dragons, later receiving promotions to the Double–AChattanooga Lookouts and Triple–ALouisville Bats. In 22 starts split between the three affiliates, he compiled a 6–4 record and 3.64 ERA with 113 strikeouts across108+2⁄3 innings pitched.[11]
On August 29, 2024, the Reds announced that Lowder would be promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[12] His contract was formally purchased the next day.[13] After being called up, Lowder went 2–2 over 6 starts with a 1.17 ERA for the Reds in 2024.[14]
The Reds paid particular attention to the health of Lowder's elbow during spring training in 2025.[15] During May, Lowder began making minor league appearances, seeking rehabilitation for a forearm strain.[16][17] On May 23, he suffered an additional oblique strain,[18][19] and was transferred to the 60-day injured list on June 4.[20][21]