Blog 16

Blog 16: Mike Lowell: From Trade Throw-In to "Hall of (Pretty) Good" Immortality

The two-time World Series champ and 2007 World Series MVP gets his due in baseball’s most beloved unofficial hall.  

Mike Lowell Recieving the 2007 World Series Most Valuable Player Award after the Boston Red Sox defeated the Colorado Rockies for their 6th World Series Championship in franchise history. https://valleyleaguebaseball.com/3x-world-series-champ-mike-lowell-selected-to-vbl-hall-of-fame/

By OwBroMedia

August 29, 2025 | Boston, MA

BOSTON- Initially thrown into the Josh Beckett trade to the Red Sox as a “salary dump,” Mike Lowell became more than anyone in Boston circles expected. In five seasons with the organization (2006–2010), Lowell was named a 2007 MLB All-Star, received MVP votes (finishing in the top five), and not only won the 2007 World Series but was also named World Series MVP.

While his numbers and accolades fall short of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Lowell was still a very good player in his own right. On Wednesday at 4:00 PM EST, the “Hall of (Pretty) Good” announced that he would become the 23rd member of the club—and the eighth member of the Inner Circle (which requires over 90% of the vote). Lowell received 92% of the ballot, with more than 32,300 fans voting for his induction.

Not too shabby for a guy whose career once seemed to be on the decline. So how exactly did he get to this point?

The Case for Lowell:

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1974, Lowell moved with his family to Miami, Florida, at just four years old, where he spent the rest of his childhood. He first attended Christopher Columbus High School to further his baseball career, but after receiving limited playing time, he transferred to Coral Gables Senior High School.

There, he became a star—not only earning a scholarship to Florida International University (FIU) but also graduating high school with a perfect 4.0 GPA, excelling both on the field and in the classroom. Though drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 48th round of the 1992 MLB Draft, he chose to attend FIU instead.

His collegiate success continued at FIU, where he played three seasons and split time between second base and shortstop. He was selected to the All-Trans America Athletic Conference in all three seasons, batting .355 with 218 hits, 38 doubles, and 119 RBIs. His performance led to FIU retiring his number 15 jersey—an honor given to only three players in school history.

Mike Lowell running from second base to third base during his time with the Florida Atlantic University baseball team. https://asunsports.org/hof.aspx?hof=27

Lowell also played in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Chatham A’s in 1994, earning All-Star honors and later being inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2011. All of this success led to his selection in the 20th round of the 1995 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees, beginning his professional career.

While in the minor leagues, Lowell transitioned to third base, and after three seasons, he was called up to “The Show” in 1998. He played in just eight games that season but collected four hits and earned a World Series ring after the Yankees defeated the San Diego Padres.

Just before spring training in 1999, New York traded Lowell to the Florida (now Miami) Marlins in exchange for pitchers Mark Johnson, Ed Yarnell, and Todd Noel—none of whom made a significant MLB impact. Shortly afterward, Lowell was diagnosed with testicular cancer. However, with relentless work ethic and determination, he overcame the disease and returned to the field just over three months after the diagnosis.

Lowell thrived in his hometown, playing seven seasons with the Marlins (1999–2005). In 981 games, he batted .272/.339/.801, with 965 hits, 241 doubles, 143 home runs, and 578 RBIs. He earned three All-Star selections, a Gold Glove Award, and a Silver Slugger Award, accumulating 14.2 WAR during that stretch. In 2003, he finished 11th in NL MVP voting and helped the Marlins defeat his former team—the Yankees—to win the 2003 World Series.

After a down season in 2005, the Marlins sought to shed payroll. With two years remaining on Lowell’s contract, they packaged him with starting pitcher Josh Beckett in a trade for prospects. They found a trade partner in the Boston Red Sox.

On November 21, 2005, a seven-player deal was finalized. The Marlins sent Beckett, Lowell, and reliever Guillermo Mota to the Red Sox in exchange for shortstop Hanley Ramirez and pitchers Aníbal Sánchez, Jesús Delgado, and Harvey García.

Lowell would spend the final five seasons of his career with Boston, hitting .290/.346/.814, with 650 hits, 143 doubles, 80 home runs, and 374 RBIs. He played solid defense at third base, contributing 10.6 WAR. In 2006, he received both the MLB.com Defensive Player of the Year Award and the Jackie Jensen Spirit Award.

Initially seen as a throw-in, Lowell became Boston’s MVP in their 2007 World Series-winning season. That year, he slashed .324/.378/.879, collecting 191 hits, 37 doubles, 21 home runs, and 120 RBIs. He earned an All-Star selection and finished 5th in AL MVP voting. In the postseason, he hit .353/.410/1.018 with 15 RBIs, earning 2007 World Series MVP honors.

After 13 seasons, Lowell retired in 2010. He finished with a .279/.342/.805 career slash line, along with 1,619 hits, 394 doubles, 223 home runs, and 952 RBIs. Since 2011, he has worked as an analyst for MLB Network, helping the channel earn an Emmy Award, and has also been inducted into quite a few organizations respective Hall of Fames, including the Red Sox, the Marlins, the CoSIDA Academic All-America, and Atlantic Sun Conference, now adding another Hall induction to his résumé.

Final Thoughts:

This is truly a slam-dunk case. Lowell epitomizes the kind of player who may not have Hall of Fame numbers, but was beloved during his playing days and will be forever remembered for helping lead two franchises to the promised land of a World Series title.

Note:
The Hall of (Pretty) Good votes for new inductees every Wednesday at 4:00 PM EST, with a 24-hour window for fans to cast their votes.