Washington Nationals right-handed hitter Joey Meneses had a surprising breakthrough last season.
The team didn’t do much and finished with the worst record in MLB, but that doesn’t mean the 2022 campaign was a complete waste.
The team unearthed Meneses and gave him as much playing time as he could handle.
The decision resulted in a .324/.367/.563 line, 13 home runs, a .930 OPS, and a 156 wRC+ in 240 plate appearances in a lousy lineup with no protection.
It’s hard not to call that a success.
Meneses had been hitting minor league pitching for a while, but finally got his chance in MLB at 30 years old.
He joined the Nationals organization last year, and they had the possibility to give him ample playing time.
What’s about to come will be the real challenge for him: proving that what he did was no fluke.
Over a much larger sample, against pitchers prepared to adjust and exploit his weaknesses, Meneses will need to produce or he will risk disappearing from the team’s plans for the future.
He is not much of a defender, but thankfully, the DH spot can be used in the National League.
Nationals manager Davey Martinez explained his plans for him.
“Davey Martinez, asked where Joey Meneses will be playing this season: ‘A lot of a little bit of everywhere.’ Translation: He’ll get time at 1B, LF and DH,” Nats insider Mark Zuckerman tweeted.
Davey Martinez, asked where Joey Meneses will be playing this season: “A lot of a little bit of everywhere.” Translation: He’ll get time at 1B, LF and DH.
—Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) February 20, 2023
Those aren’t premium positions that Meneses can handle.
He won’t be a defensive star at any of them, but his suspect fielding is less of an issue there.
As long as he can keep hitting, the Nats will keep finding playing time for him.
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