2022 Topps Cosmic Chrome

Topps Chrome is a popular brand for collectors. This year, Topps Cosmic Chrome provides a new selection on the market. 2022 Topps Cosmic Chrome was released in mid-November. After this set was released, I went to a sports card shop to check if this product is worth collecting.

I got some packs of 2022 Topps Cosmic, trying to see whether I could find something cool. I found a Josh Lowe rookie card. Well, I don’t know if this result is great. But, while seeing this card, I’m thinking about his performance in 2022. Josh Lowe was selected by the Rays in the first round of the 2016 MLB draft. In 2021, he made it into the big leagues. In early April, the Rays traded Austin Meadows, who slashed .234/.315/.458 with 27 home runs and 106 RBI for the Rays in 2021, to the Tigers. It seems that this trade cleared the way for Josh Lowe and Lowe did make the Opening Day roster. However, in baseball, there’s nothing you can guarantee. In the 2022 season, Josh Lowe only played 52 games for the Rays. He hit .221/.284/.343 with 2 home runs and 13 RBI. In particular, he crushed his first career home run on April 29. However, during the regular season, Josh Lowe was optioned to the minors several times. Additionally, the Rays clinched a spot in the postseason, nonetheless, Josh Lowe was not on the postseason roster. Josh Lowe’s performance might not be as good as expected. And, that makes me think about another player in the Rays, Brandon Lowe. Brandon Lowe was chosen by the Rays in the third round of the 2015 draft. Lowe made his MLB debut in 2018. Over these 5 years, he’s been a key player in the Rays lineup. By far in his career, he played 395 games for the Rays, hitting .249/.335/.495 with 84 home runs and 237 RBI. He was selected to the All-Star game in 2019 and he finished 3rd in the AL Rookie of the Year award. In 2019, Lowe was batting .270/.336/.514 with 17 home runs and 51 RBI over 82 games. Last season, Lowe slashed .247/.340/.523 with 39 home runs and 99 RBI in 149 games. However, due to injuries, Lowe only played 65 games in 2022. He only batted .221/.308/.383 with 8 home runs and 25 RBI.

Lowe & Lowe (2022)
Josh Lowe	Player	Brandon Lowe
52	G	65
40	H	52
2	HR	8
13	RBI	25
.221	BA	.221
.627	OPS	.691

Finally, when we look at Josh Lowe’s and Brandon Lowe’s performances this season, they each had a batting average of .221. Additionally, they each owned an OPS below .700. Moreover, they didn’t play too many games this season. Josh Lowe only played 52 games in the big leagues this year and Brandon Lowe missed some playing time due to injuries. Adding a Josh Lowe rookie card into my collection is an interesting thing to do. However, while seeing this card, it makes me think about the offense struggle of the Rays in the 2022 season. The Rays’ OPS was only .686 in 2022, ranking 24th among 30 MLB teams. Furthermore, they only scored 1 run in the AL Wild Card series and lost to the Guardians. For the Rays, how to enhance their offense will be extremely important in 2023.