Prospect Profile: Zac Lowther
Number 17 and the Baltimore Orioles preseason top 30 prospects list is Zac Lowther. Number 18 was David Hess who I profiled earlier in the day.
Zac is a left handed pitcher out of Xavier University. He was selected in the second round of the 2017 draft.
Lowther spent three seasons with The Musketeers, pitching mostly as a starter. He made 48 total appearances making 36 starts. He had a very successful career while with Xavier, leaving with a 14-11 record, 3.18 ERA and 249 strikeouts over those three seasons. He is also the highest-ever pick out of Xavier.
During his sophomore season, Zac lead the Big East in strikeouts, and then went on to lead the Cape Cod league in strikeouts that same season. In his final season with Xavier he set a school record with 123 strikeouts.
After being drafted by the Orioles, Lowther was sent to the Aberdeen IronBirds. His strong college career carried over into the start of his pro career. He made 12 appearances (11 starts) in Aberdeen going 2-2 with a 1.66 ERA, striking out 75, and only walking 11 over 54.1 innings.
MLB.com Analysis
Lowther’s best pitch is a fastball that sits at 87-90 mph and tops out at 93. It plays well above its fringy velocity, as he commands it well and creates deception by hiding the ball well before generating massive extension to the plate. He’s unlikely to throw much harder because he’s already physically mature at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds.
Scouting Grades:
Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45
MLB ETA 2020
