The Pittsburgh Pirates' addition of All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe — just mere days after missing out on Jorge Polanco in free agency — should be a boon for the middle of the lineup in 2026.
Lowe, 31, earned his second trip to the Midsummer Classic in 2025 with the Tampa Bay Rays. He hit .256/.307/.477 (114 wRC+) with 31 home runs, the second-best mark of his career after 2021 (when he hit 39 bombs).
Yes, his defense bottomed out this year (-13 Outs Above Average) and he continues to strike out in more than a quarter of his plate appearances, but he's a true power-hitting threat from the left side.