Xavier University Athletics
Zac Lowther Selected Orioles' Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year
09.15.18 | Baseball
He shared the award with fellow lefty Keegan Akin.
Lowther, a left-handed pitcher who was the highest draft pick in school history (No. 74 overall) in June of 2017, is ranked the No. 18 prospect in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He recently wrapped up his season in advanced A ball for the Frederick Keys.
For the Keys, Lowther put up a 2.53 ERA in 17 games (16 starts). In 92.2 innings, the Brooklyn Heights, Ohio native posted 100 strikeouts and allowed just 74 hits.
The performance followed up a blistering start for Delmarva, where Lowther recorded a 1.16 ERA in six starts and struck out 51 in 31 innings while holding opposition to a .115 batting average.
Overall, Lowther struck out 151 in just 123.2 innings and allowed just 86 hits for a .220 opponent batting average.
A 2017 All-BIG EAST First Team selection, Lowther was one of the top strikeout artists in college baseball for the Musketeers. He led the prestigious Cape Cod League in strikeouts in the summer before his junior season and was mentioned as the top MLB Draft prospect in the BIG EAST all season long.
He backed it up by striking out a Xavier record 123 batters in 2017, ranking fourth in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (13.28). Lowther finished the season with a 2.92 ERA and a 5-5 record, racking up those 123 strikeouts in just 83.1 innings.
The lefty allowed just 48 hits and a .164 opponent batting average, turning it up a notch in league play to record a 2.25 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 32 innings. Lowther allowed just 15 hits in six league starts, giving BIG EAST batters fits all spring.
MLB Pipeline says the following about Lowther:
Lowther led the Big East Conference in strikeouts as a Xavier sophomore and then continued to raise his profile in the Cape Cod League, which he led in strikeouts (54), whiffs per nine innings (13.6) and K/BB ratio (13.5). As a junior, he established a school record for strikeouts (123) while finishing fourth in NCAA Division I in whiff rate (13.3). Targeting Lowther's bat-missing ability, the Orioles took him with the No. 74 overall pick in the second competitive balance round, and he continued his run of dominance by posting a 1.66 ERA with 12.4 K/9 during his pro debut with Class A Short Season Aberdeen. A move up to full-season ball in '18 brought even more success for Lowther, as he received a promotion to Class A Advanced Frederick after six dominant starts with Class A Delmarva.
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.
Lowther's ability to pitch off of his fastball increases the effectiveness of his above-average curveball and a changeup that ranges from fringy to average. His control is average, with room for improvement, though he does offset many of his free passes with strikeouts. While the effectiveness of his modest arsenal will be tested at higher levels, Lowther's pitchability and knack for missing bats points to a career as a No. 4 starter.
