Rhett Lowder has certainly made a strong impression just six starts into his professional career.
Less than a year after leading Wake Forest to the College World Series and going toe-to-toe with LSU’s Paul Skenes in one of the greatest pitching duels Omaha has seen, the 22-year-old Lowder has made his way to the Scenic City.
MLB.com’s No. 25 overall prospect, and the Cincinnati Reds’ top prospect, made his Double-A debut this past Saturday in front of over 4,000 fans at AT&T Field.
Just two batters into the game, Lowder showcased just how nasty he can be as he threw a sharp slider to Kevin Alcantara, the Chicago Cubs’ No. 2 overall prospect whose swinging miss sent his bat flying down the third base line.
“My slider took a big step forward last year,” said Lowder, who went 15-0 with a 1.87 ERA and 143 strikeouts compared to just 24 walks over 120 1/3 innings with the Demon Deacons in a magical 2023 run. “I was also backed by a great lineup that scored a bunch of runs, which included Chattanooga guys like Nick Kurtz and Danny Corona. I was able to mix all of my pitches well and being confident in my fastball, changeup and slider is my biggest strong suit.”