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2007 A 2005 first-round supplemental pick, Lowrie led the New York-Penn League in OBP while surviving the switch from second base to shortstop. His Carolina League stint didn`t go as well. Already off to a slow start, Lowrie missed five weeks due to a high ankle sprain, and was nearly demoted back to Lowell when he struggled upon returning. As late as August 4 he was hitting just .233/.330/.305, but he closed the season with a .327/.380/.529 month, and maintained good plate discipline all year despite his woes. He`s got the arm for shortstop, but his speed is only average, and he may not have enough range; a move back to second wouldn`t surprise anyone, but you can`t fault the Sox for challenging him. 2006 Lowrie was the Pac-10 player of the year for Stanford in 2004, but an off season allowed the Red Sox to take him with the 33rd pick in the draft. Though he was a second baseman in college, the Red Sox like to challenge their prospects defensively and moved Lowrie to short. The organization liked what it saw and will leave him there for now. The switch-hitter excelled on offense, leading the NY-Penn League in on-base-percentage. Lowrie is an advanced player, so expect him to move quickly through the system.
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