New Pirates Infielder Brandon Lowe Details What Makes Paul Skenes Special

The Pittsburgh Pirates made a bold move to acquire infielder Brandon Lowe to bolster their lineup, and he’s excited to join the team.

Lowe has spent his entire career with the Tampa Bay Rays, but will now be a key part of the Pirates’ offense. After the trade, Lowe spoke to the media and was asked about Pirates ace Paul Skenes and his past battles with him.

Although Lowe hasn’t been a teammate of Skenes, he already knows what makes the right-hander so dominant and special.

“I love facing the best competition and the best pitchers out there, and he’s one of those pitchers that it just seems like he’s — usually you see a thrower or a pitcher,” Lowe said, via Pirates on SI. “There’s very rarely times that you get both. Then they’re built in the same arm. He’s got 100 in the tank. But he’s not just going to throw that 100 down the middle. He’s working edges, he’s playing the at-bat.

“I mean, I’m pretty sure I got a front hip changeup off of him. And I was like, ‘You can’t throw that pitch, man.’ Like, you throw something front hip. It’s supposed to be at 100 not at 90 and have that kind of movement. So he’s not just trying to go up there and blow your doors off. He’s going up there to pitch. And I think that’s pretty much the reason why he’s had the success he’s had. I think he’s going to have that continued success.”

Skenes is coming off winning the Cy Young in his first full season in the MLB, after winning Rookie of the Year in 2024.

Lowe is eager to see Skenes up close and see how he’s able to have so much success. And, he expects that with Skenes leading the rotation, the Pirates can have a lot of success in 2026.

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