Wade Meckler has gone from Eugene to Richmond to Sacramento and now to San Francisco in the span of one year.
Meckler, 23, has hit at every level of competition since the Giants drafted him. As they’re in the midst of a brutal offensive drought, the organization is hoping that trend will continue to the toughest league in the world.
An eighth round pick in 2022, Meckler will be the fourth player in his draft class to debut. He has a career .377 batting average as a professional while playing all three outfield positions.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan was the first to report the news before the Giants announced the roster move. Meckler is hitting second and playing center field against the Rays in his debut Monday night.
“I got drafted last year, wasn’t expecting to be here,” Meckler said from his new locker in Oracle Park Monday. “But I was expecting to hit. So I was kind of just setting the standard high for myself, keeping myself accountable everyday. Luckily, it got me here. But obviously I have to keep going.”
Meckler’s journey to the big leagues is a true underdog story — and a fairytale novella at that. He walked on to Oregon State’s baseball team and was the 35th player on a 34-man roster as a sophomore when the coaching staff told him there wasn’t a role for him. He refused to leave, instead earning playing time and an eventual spot on the team.
Former Giants draftee and Oregon State Tyler Graham encouraged Meckler to stick with it.
“He’s like, ‘You’re just like Steven Kwan, you can be a big leaguer, Steven Kwan is a big leaguer, you can be a top-five rounder,’” Meckler said. “Telling me all this stuff. From day one, giving me that confidence that if I grinded and worked harder than everyone else and worked the right way, eventually I was going to be a starter there.”
As a junior, when Oregon State finally trusted to play regularly, Meckler slashed .347/.456/.478. During his introductory press conference with local media members, fellow Oregon State alumni Michael Conforto gave the rookie a bro hug.
Meckler never got scholarship money from Oregon State, he said, and signed with the Giants for $97,500. But after crushing opposing pitchers at every stop since getting drafted, he’s getting a chance in The Show.
Meckler hit .379 with a .984 OPS across three minor league levels in 2023. At Triple-A, Meckler batted .400 with one home run and two doubles in 10 games. He hit at least .400 in every minors level besides Double-A, when he cooled off to a .336 average.
Meckler is more of a gap-to-gap contact hitter who works counts deep and puts the ball in play. The Giants need whatever he can provide.
Since June 22, when the Giants’ 10-game winning streak expired, San Francisco ranks as the worst offense in baseball. In that 44-game span, San Francisco has the second-worst team wRC+ and has scored the fewest runs in MLB.
Any reinforcements given that lull would be welcome for a Giant club still in the thick of a National League wild card race.
To add Meckler to the 40-man roster, the Giants designated Luis González for assignment. González, who flashed briefly for the Giants last year, has recovered from his offseason back surgery but couldn’t squeeze through a crowded outfield depth chart. San Francisco also placed starter Anthony DeSclafani on the 60-day injured list and optioned center fielder Luis Matos to make room for veteran utility player Johan Camargo, whom the club recently claimed.
The Giants also have To Be Determined starting pitchers for this Tuesday and Wednesday against Tampa Bay, so more significant roster moves could be on the horizon.
For now, it’s Meckler’s turn to see if he can keep hitting — just as he has in the minors.
“I’m just going to go out there and do what I do, and then let the chips fall,” Meckler said. “Whatever happens, happens. So I’m just going to go out there and play my game. If I give them a boost, great.”
