Noah Lowry

Lowry missed all of 2008 with injuries, first dealing with a forearm problem and later requiring elbow surgery. The Giants plan to have Lowry in their 2009 rotation if all goes well, but the team isn’t counting on him. Even if he returns to health, Lowry posted an 87:87 K:BB ratio during his last full season in 2007, so he’s more of a back of the rotation option than anything else.

Lowry's 14-8 record and 3.92 ERA from last year were misleading, as they were accompanied by a 1.551 WHIP and a horrific 87:87 K:BB ratio in 156 innings. San Francisco tried to shop Lowry during the offseason in hopes of bringing a bat in return, but teams weren't hot on him, especially after Lowry was shut down in September with a tender elbow. There was no structural damage found, so he should enter 2008 at 100 percent, but he's going to have to drastically improve his control and strikeout rate if he wants continued success. His changeup is one of the most effective pitches in the league, but he lacks any secondary options to complement it. Expect a major correction in ERA next season.

Lowry had a disappointing 2006 campaign, first with an oblique injury that cost him more than a month and then finishing with an ERA a full run higher than the previous season. His improved curveball has made him less susceptible to lefties, but he's still far more effective against righties because of his changeup, which ranks among the best in the game. The real problem with Lowry last year was his precipitous drop in strikeout rate: two seasons ago he averaged 7.58 K/9 but last year that number fell to 4.75. Still, Lowry has indicated that it took quite some time to fully recover from the oblique injury, so there's reason to believe his numbers will look more like 2005 than 2006 this year.

Although he was terrific in the second half last year, be wary of Lowry in '06, as he was worked extremely hard by Felipe Alou in that time. His peripherals were good and he didn't break down in season, but the pitch counts and the jump in innings over 2004 are warning signs. He may have trouble returning value for his '06 price.

Lowry was called up in August of 2004 to fill the rotation spot left open when Dustin Hermanson became the Giants closer. He has good skills and should continue his success this season, but it remains to be seen how a full schedule will affect his numbers. He's worth a late-round pick.

Lowry was limited to 58 innings in 2002 by shoulder problems that did not require surgery. He didn’t have the same command he'd previously shown, but nevertheless ended up in San Francisco for a cup of coffee. He's at least a season away from making a contribution, and like many young Giants pitchers, is more likely to be trade bait than anything else.

The Giants seemingly have a boatload of young pitching, and here's another gem in the rough. Lowry went 6-5, 2.15 in 15 games (12 starts) at high Single-A in 2002. Struck out 62 batters and walked only 20 in 59 innings, with a WHIP under 1.00. Turned 22 in the offseason. Ticketed to start 2003 at Double-A. Probably won't see any time in the bigs, but an intriguing keeper league option.