FORT MYERS, Fla. -- For all the hype around Spring Training, few roster decisions are made based on March performances. Some guys take a while to find their stride, and with such a small sample size, it’s difficult to evaluate for the long term based solely on the short term.

As Josh Lowe sits on the fence between Triple-A and Tampa Bay, though, he has probably the best opportunity of anyone in the clubhouse to force his way into contention with a solid spring.

“He's going to get a lot of at-bats,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said prior to the Rays’ 8-4 loss to the Twins on Saturday afternoon at Hammond Stadium. “He will be a priority for us throughout this camp to see how he’s continuing to adjust to Major League pitching in these games.”

Lowe hit leadoff on Saturday and wasted no time, lining a first-pitch fastball from Kenta Maeda over left fielder Joey Gallo’s head for a double. It wasn’t a cheapy, either: the knock left Lowe’s bat at 101.4 mph.

He had just one other at-bat, swinging under a changeup for a sky-high popup to shallow right in the third inning. That out had an 97.7 mph exit velocity, so if nothing else, Lowe is making solid contact.

It’s great news for a guy who struck out in about a third of his MLB at-bats in 2022 as much as it is a testament to Lowe continuing to grind even when the numbers weren’t flattering.

“A lot of people learn from their failures,” he said. “I think I've learned a lot. Not to say that people don't fail in this game; this is a game based off how you fail. People fail seven out of 10 times [and] they're in the Hall of Fame.”

The game is also, Lowe was quick to add, based on how one responds to those failures, an experience he knows a bit about.

A year ago, the 25-year-old was Tampa Bay’s No. 13 prospect. His speed, arm and left-handed bat impressed the Rays enough that they traded Austin Meadows to clear a path for him to the Majors. A first-rounder in the 2016 MLB Draft, Lowe worked through six Minor League seasons at a .268/.353/.445 clip to break camp with the parent club in 2022. 

The results were mixed. He floundered during his first stint with the Rays. He was marginally better during his second go-around, though still not polished enough to stick around. Between stints, Lowe torched pitches with Durham, slashing .315/.402/.556 with 14 homers and 25 stolen bases in 80 games.

Try as he might, Lowe couldn’t get those numbers to translate to the big stage. Once coveted as the powerful lefty bat the Rays sought to complement their lineup, Lowe was returned to Durham a final time last July 31.

“A lot of people struggle when they first get here,” Lowe reflected. “Do you want to have success right away? Of course you do, but that's something you learn from. You learn from your mistakes; that's how you get better.”

And so this offseason, Lowe returned home to Clermont, Fla., and worked out with his older brother. Two years apart, the siblings are very close, and Nathaniel Lowe’s is a good brain to pick. Sometimes, Josh asked questions, but most of the time, he preferred to watch and listen.

“He’s one of the hardest workers I've ever seen,” Josh said, “so it's kind of cool to watch him go about his business.”

Nathaniel, too, started his career modestly with the Rays (2019-20) but is fresh off the best season of his career, a 76-RBI, 27-homer campaign during which he hit .302 with the Rangers.

More importantly to this story, he’s happy to do whatever he can to help get Josh over the hump.

“The older we get, the closer we get,” Nathaniel said from Arizona on Saturday. “It's cool [we’re both big leaguers]. He's still trying to find his footing and figure out what his role is going to be. And I'm in a situation where I can help him when he’s got questions.”

Whether Josh Lowe can spin the struggles of 2022 into successes in ’23 remains to be seen. But to his credit, Cash said, he has remained grounded and focused.

Saturday was the smallest of samples, but Lowe would probably be the first to remind you that he’s batting .500 this year.

That can-do attitude could take him a long way.

“You never saw him quit on himself or lose confidence,” Cash said. “He's a confident kid.”

Rangers beat writer Kennedi Landry contributed to the reporting for this story.