New York Yankees Lowell was drafted by the
New York Yankees in the 20th round of the
1995 Major League Baseball draft. He made his major league debut as a
September call-up for the
Yankees in 1998, singling in his first at-bat and playing eight games in the season. Although Lowell debuted late in the season and did not play in the 1998 postseason, he still received his first career
World Series ring as the Yankees won the
World Series against the
San Diego Padres.
Florida Marlins Lowell was traded to the
Florida Marlins on February 1, 1999, for
Mark Johnson and
Ed Yarnall. While waiting for
spring training, Lowell discovered that he had
testicular cancer and underwent surgery on February 21, returning to the lineup on May 29. He finished his season with a .253
batting average, 12
home runs, and 47
RBI. Lowell had successful years in Florida and established himself as one of the elite third baseman in the league. In , he finished with 18 home runs and 100 RBI. Lowell was having an excellent season in , but in late August he suffered a broken hand when he was hit by a pitch by the
Montreal Expos'
Héctor Almonte, forcing him to miss 32 games. He finished the season with 32 home runs and 105 RBI. Rookie
Miguel Cabrera moved from left field to third base after Lowell's injury. Lowell returned for the postseason and had five hits in the Marlins'
World Series win over the Yankees. In , he hit a career-high (at the time) .293 with 27 home runs and 85 RBI. Despite a disappointing 2005 season in which he hit .236 with only eight home runs and a .298
on-base percentage, Lowell earned his only
Gold Glove Award. He also finished third in doubles in the league, totaling 47 doubles. The Marlins traded him to Boston in a deal that was officially completed on November 21, 2005, in which the Red Sox received Lowell,
Josh Beckett and
Guillermo Mota in exchange for
Hanley Ramírez,
Aníbal Sánchez, Jesús Delgado and
Harvey García.
Boston Red Sox in spring 2007 Even though the
Boston Red Sox took on Lowell and his contract largely because the Marlins would not trade
pitcher Josh Beckett without relieving themselves of Lowell's salary, Lowell fared better than expected as a member of the 2006 Red Sox, for a time leading the American League (AL) in
doubles and providing solid defense at third base. Lowell finished with 20 home runs and 80 RBI, and he was tied with
Eric Chavez for the best
fielding percentage at his position. The season turned out to be one of Lowell's best: he set career bests in hits, RBI, batting average, OPS, and played a key role in helping the Red Sox win their second World Series in four years. One of the early highlights of the season came on April 22, when Lowell was one of the four Red Sox players to hit consecutive home runs against the Yankees. During the first half, Lowell hit .300 and led the team with 14 home runs (tied with
David Ortiz) and 63 RBI. This performance helped earn him a spot on the
AL All-Star Team as a reserve player voted in on the player's ballot. As the Red Sox held onto its lead in the
AL East division, Lowell continued to carry the team by hitting .350 during the second half. His season total of 120 RBI was not only a personal best but a franchise record for a Red Sox third baseman, beating
Butch Hobson's total of 112 in . Lowell also finished with a .324 batting average, 21 home runs and 191 hits, another career high. During the
2007 World Series, Lowell hit .400 with one home run, 4 RBI, six
runs scored and a
stolen base in the four-game sweep against the
Colorado Rockies. Lowell got his second
World Series ring and was named the
World Series MVP. He also became the second Puerto Rican player to be named the MVP of a World Series, following
Roberto Clemente. Lowell and fellow ex-Marlin Beckett became the first duo to each get a World Series MVP by winning a World Series with one team in the AL and the other in the
National League. Following the season, Lowell placed fifth in the AL
Most Valuable Player voting. Although he filed for
free agency, Lowell returned to the Red Sox after signing a three-year contract worth $37.5 million. Lowell had trouble with a torn
hip labrum that required surgery between the 2008 and 2009 seasons. As a result, he spent several stints on the disabled list. The injury caused him to miss most of the 2008 playoffs, including the
AL Championship Series, when the Red Sox lost to the
Tampa Bay Rays. It also kept him from representing
Puerto Rico in the
2009 World Baseball Classic. He did return to the Red Sox in 2009, though he saw reduced playing time at third base in order to keep him healthy. After the Red Sox acquired
Victor Martinez in a midseason trade with the
Cleveland Indians, Lowell's playing time was reduced, casting his future with the team into doubt. After the season, it was speculated that the Red Sox would attempt to trade Lowell. Following the 2009 season, the Red Sox and
Texas Rangers agreed to a deal that would send Lowell to Texas for catcher
Max Ramírez. However, the deal was called off by the Rangers when they discovered that Lowell required surgery on his right thumb. Lowell underwent a successful surgery on December 30. He remained with the Red Sox and joined the team for spring training following rehabilitation on his surgically repaired thumb. On April 10, 2010, Lowell announced that he would most likely retire after the 2010 season. In the 2010 season, he played as a backup infielder at first and third base and as a pinch hitter. On May 3, Lowell had his eighth career three-
double game, setting an all-time record for the most by a player in a career. On August 3, after coming back from nearly two months on the disabled list, Lowell stepped into the batter's box to a standing ovation at
Fenway Park and hit a two-run home run on the first pitch. On October 2, the Red Sox honored Lowell with an on-field ceremony as he would go on to retire after the season. ==Post-playing career==