Jake Lowery Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Mark Jacob Lowery
Born 07/21/1990 in Richmond, VA
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School James Madison
Drafted in the 4th round (128th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2011 (signed for $220,000).

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Catcher Jake Lowery's numbers jump off the page, but scouts take them with a grain of salt because of the coziness of James Madison's ballpark. Lowery was hitting .357/.444/.796 with 22 home runs, tying him for second in the nation heading into regionals. He has solid power and an ability to hit to all fields. He has shown arm strength behind the plate, but needs plenty of polish to avoid a move to first base.

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While many college hitters struggled to adjust to new bat regulations in 2011, Lowery took advantage of the hitter-friendly conditions at James Madison. He led NCAA Division I in runs (80), RBIs (91) and total bases (200) while ranking second in homers (24) and slugging (.797). Drafted 128th overall in June, he signed for $220,000 and topped the New York-Penn League with 23 doubles and 30 extra-base hits. Lowery's best skill is his plate discipline. He has an advanced approach that helps him draw plenty of walks, though he did start to expand his strike zone in the second half of his pro debut He has a strong, compact frame and uses the whole field. Despite his eye-catching numbers in college, he projects to top out at average power. Lowery threw out 43 percent of basestealers last spring and 35 percent in pro ball, and he has a plus arm with excellent carry and accuracy. His receiving and blocking still need a lot of work for him to become an adequate defensive catcher. He also played first base at Mahoning Valley, but moving there would put a lot of additional pressure on his bat. He'll spend his first full pro season in low Class A.

After hitting nine homers over his first two college seasons, Lowery exploded as a junior this spring, hitting .359/.442/.797 with 24 homers and NCAA Division I bests in runs (80), RBIs (91) and total bases (200). In his pro debut, he tied Skole for the NY-P lead with 23 doubles and led with 30 extra-base hits. Lowery has a mature, patient approach at the plate and the ability to drive balls with authority from line to line. He was pitched around often this summer and started chasing more pitches out of the zone in the second half, when he hit just .219 with one homer in 64 at-bats. He has plenty of strength in his compact frame and could hit for average power. Lowery's offense is ahead of his defense at this point. He needs to refine his receiving and especially his blocking, but he has a chance to be an adequate catcher in time. He has plus arm strength with excellent carry and accuracy on his throws, helping him throw out 43 percent of basestealers this spring and 35 percent this summer.