Skip to Search Skip to Live Player Skip to Content Skip to Footer

Charlie & Debbie

Former Wake Forest Pitcher To Make Major League Debut

Author Charlie & Debbie

The 2023 Major League Baseball draft is going to go down in history. Within 14 months of its occurrence, 5 of the first 7 picks have made it to the major leagues. Right-hand pitcher Paul Skenes (Pirates), outfielders Dylan Crews (Nationals) and Wyatt Langford (Rangers), and shortstop Jacob Wilson (Athletics) are now being joined by one of our own, Wake Forest’s Rhett Lowder is set to make his major league baseball with the Cincinnati Reds on Friday.

Rhett Lowder’s Path To Professional Baseball.

Rhett Lowder is one of our own here in the Tar Heel State. He was born in Albermarle twenty-two years ago. He was a standout pitcher for North Stanly High School. During his sophomore season in 2018, he pitched a 9–2 record and with a 1.03 ERA. As a junior in 2019, he went 9–0 with a 0.61 ERA, 115 strikeouts, and seven walks over 68.1 innings. And then, like so many aspiring athletes in the class of 2020, his senior season was cut short by the Covid-19 Pandemic. As such, his draft status wasn’t what it should/could have been, so he enrolled at Wake Forest University. While there he was named ACC Pitcher of the Year in multiple seasons, was named an All-American, and led Wake Forest on a College World Series run. He was drafted in the first round of the 2023 draft by the Cincinnati Reds.

Rhett Lowder’s Minor League Career

Rhett’s rise through the Reds’ minor league system has been nothing short of meteoric. He’s split this season across the franchise’s single, double, and triple-a affiliates. He made his ONLY triple-a appearance on August 22. And how did that go?

Any good?! <g> And now, North Stanly’s own, Rhett Lowder is set to make his major league debut for the Cincinnati Reds on Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers in the nightcap of a double-header. However, at this time, we don’t know if Rhett’s stay with the big club is a permanent thing or not. According to CBSSports.com, it’s unclear if that means he’ll also serve as the 27th player  — a designation that would require him to go down (back to triple-a Louisville) after the second game concludes.

Charlie Nance is the Afternoon Drive co-host (along with his wife) of "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple have been with the radio station since 2006. Charlie has won the prestigious CMA (Country Music Association) Award for Radio Personality of the Year and has been a finalist for the Country Radio Hall of Fame four times. Prior to his time in Charlotte, Charlie (along with Debbie) spent more than a decade hosting successful morning radio shows in Greenville, SC; Augusta, Ga; and Birmingham, Al. As a content creator for Country 1037, Charlie writes about dream lottery windfalls, sports, restaurants and bars, and travel experiences in North and South Carolina.

4 Bold Predictions For The 2024 MLB Season

We’ve officially made it to Major League Baseball’s opening day. And we’ve got four bold predictions for the 2024 MLB season.

Last year felt like a nice setup for this season to really hit one out of the park, so to speak. 2023 saw the new MLB rules take hold. This was notable with the pitch clock and the attempt to speed up the game. The looming question of what’s next for Shohei Ohtani was lingering all year. Obviously the uncommon pitcher/hitter superstar chose to stay in southern California, but headed to move over to the Dodgers.

A consistent, no-frills style of baseball led the Texas Rangers to defeat a young and scrappy Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series. Both have similar rosters this year, but will either team be as good?

What Are Some 2024 MLB Points Of Intrigue?

We are already off to a unique start with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers splitting the Seoul Series in Korea. We are certainly teed up for an exciting seven months of baseball.

Some factors came close to finding their way into my four bold predictions, but were not strong enough to grab a spot in the lineup. However, they do remain open questions for baseball fans to look out for as the season unfolds.

In New York, will the Yankees adding the fierce bat of Juan Soto to the team bounce them back from a disappointing season? Soto may have to make up for the lack of depth at pitching now the Cy Young winner, Gerrit Cole is starting the season injured.

In Atlanta, the Braves are so talented across the board, it’s hard to pick against them in all of the National League. However, I do expect some epic NL East clashes throughout the year between division rivals, the Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

We shall see about all of the above. In the meantime, let’s hit some 2024 MLB bold predictions to get the ball rolling.

  • The Dodgers Will Fall Short Of Expectations

    It may be a news subject that fades away, but Shohei Ohtani’s name being involved in a potential gambling scandal is not a great way to kick off the season. This general topic is one that all pro sports are taking very seriously and could hang over the organization’s head for much of the season. The Dodgers are certainly loaded with stars, but as the Yankees have proven in years past, a monster payroll does not guarantee wins. In fact, too many superstars in one clubhouse can be detrimental to team unity.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Los Angeles Dodgers (@dodgers)

  • The City Connect Uniforms Will Be A Big Hit

    MLB has been faced with the challenge of making the games more exciting and engaging. There’s only so much you can do to change the rules of the sport without stepping on the integrity of the game. The adjustments to speed things up certainly helped. So did the arrival of flashy alternate uniforms. Nine new teams will have a creative new jersey thrown into their mix. They will be unveiled soon. However, rocking a special edition jersey that is a nod to your home city should make this gear a top-seller in the shops. We’ve already seen teams like the Diamondbacks add accents of teal and fluorescents into their color schemes. This City Connect theme has been a very successful model in the NBA.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by MLB ⚾ (@mlb)

  • The San Diego Padres Will Win The NL West

    Speaking of uniforms, the Padres adding a sand tone to their away threads is an all-time classic look. The beach and baseball are synonymous. That has nothing to do with why SD will finish ahead of the bigger names like the Dodgers or San Francisco Giants. Fernando Tatis Jr is fully back, and the cornerstone to a team that is full of both speed and strength. The Padres did a great job of giving fans an inside glimpse of their spring training this year, and it certainly appeared as if the club was already having a blast. Their team unity and chemistry will carry them far.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by San Diego Padres (@padres)

  • Your 2024 World Series Champion: The Seattle Mariners

    Seattle, and the great state of Washington was so close to starting the year off with a championship parade thanks to the Huskies making the college football finals. They may end the year with one instead, and it will be well worth the wait. Julio Rodríguez is one of the most well-rounded players in the game. He’s also just 23 years old. The X factor for the M’s, though, will be how solid their pitching is, with the bulk of the rotation remaining healthy all year. The lineup then institutes small-ball baseball beautifully throughout the year, where the team seems to always know how to close out the close games. Ultimately, I’m taking the Mariners over the Braves in the 2024 World Series, which I can foresee being one of the most thrilling finals we’ve seen in a long time.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Seattle Mariners (@mariners)

Get The Country 103.7 All Access Newsletter Delivered To Your Inbox

Enjoy the latest country music, entertainment, and local stories, plus exclusive contests, games, and more!

*
By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.
Author Charlie & Debbie
Category:
Tags:
,,,

More Country 103.7

Load More