Brandon Lowe-led Pirates pace MLB in scoring at break, lag on All-Star Game recognition

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Brandon Lowe-led Pirates pace MLB in scoring at break, lag on All-Star Game recognition originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

As if his 435-foot, first-inning blast at Chase Field on May 6 wasn't impressive enough, clinching a 1-0 victory over host Arizona Diamondbacks, Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Brandon Lowe did one better the next day, connecting on a 436-footer, fueling a 4-2 victory.

Did anyone notice?

Lowe, who leads MLB second basemen with 21 homers at the All-Star break, continues helping power the Pirates to a franchise resurgence, matching the Washington Nationals with a league-leading 516 runs through 97 games.

And, like Lowe, the rebuilding organization remains under the radar.

Starting pitcher Paul Skenes will serve as the organizatgion's lone representative during Tuesday's All-Star Game in Philadelphia.

Despite several strong candidates.

But Lowe didn't make it.

Neither did left fielder Bryan Reynolds, who posted 99 hits, 14 homers and 59 RBI. His 3.6 WAR leads the team. He was considered one of the biggest All-Star snubs.

There was no third baseman Nick Gonzales, who batted .308 with a team-best 104 hits.

Nor right fielder Ryan O'Hearn, who compiled 16 homers and 63 RBI. His .487 slugging percentage matched "Bam Bam" Lowe, but their efforts didn't seem to send up enough national flares during All-Star fan voting.

Pirates producing high-scoring MLB games​

There are reasons the Pirates have been slow to reap the marketing rewards of a high-powered offense. Last season at the All-Star break, they ranked last in runs scored. They became the second team in MLB history to go from last to first in first-half scoring, matching the 1986 and '87 St. Louis Cardinals.

Over their previous 10 games, the Pirates won seven against some of the NL's top teams.

The Pirates (50-47), who next travel to face the Cleveland Guardians on Friday, are creating an exciting brand of baseball, posting an MLB-best .263 team batting average, the second-best on-base percentage (.342) and third-best slugging percentage (.426).

At this point in 2025, the Pirates batted a combined .234, which ranked No. 27, amassed the eighth-worst OBP (.305) and slugged a league-low .350.

The Pirates' improvement has proven rapid and appears sustainable.

Has anybody noticed?

More MLB news:​

• Nationals' James Wood leading off with record-breaking power
• Rockies' Jake McCarthy creates MLB inside-the-park home run history
• Pirates rookie Esmerlyn Valdez establishes MLB go-ahead hitting history versus Brewers
• Astros' Bryan Abreu remains buy-low MLB trade deadline option
• Will Orioles trade Ryan Mountcastle on the cheap?

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