Feb 21, 2017; Disney, FL, USA;Atlanta Braves pitchers leave the batting cages in a practice following media day for the Atlanta Braves during MLB spring training at Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2017; Disney, FL, USA;Atlanta Braves pitchers leave the batting cages in a practice following media day for the Atlanta Braves during MLB spring training at Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
Atlanta Braves prospect Joey Meneses had a big offensive season while transitioning to the outfield. Could he be up in 2017?
Player Profile
The Atlanta Braves signed Joey Meneses out of Mexico in 2011 at age 18.
He had turned 19 by the time he opened with the Braves Dominican Summer League affiliate in 2011, where he hit .206/.286/.206 with a 10% walk rate and a 20% strike out rate.
The Braves brought Meneses state side in 2012, placing him in their Gulf Coast League affiliate, where he absolutely raked at the plate, hitting .303/.352/.407. He had no home runs and 2 stolen bases, but did hit 5 triples. He also posted a 5.66% walk rate and an 18.24% strike out rate.
Meneses skipped over Danville straight to low-A Rome in the South Atlantic League in 2013. The jump seemed to stall his bat a bit, as he hit .257/.308/.349 with 2 home runs and a stolen base, posting a 6.76% walk rate and 23.43% strikeout rate.
He returned that winter to his native Mexico to play winter ball in the Mexican League, and he got his bat back on track there, hitting .326/.407/.500 with 2 home runs and a stolen base, posting a 12.96% walk rate and 25.93% strikeout rate.
He fought through an injury-laden 2014 after returning to Rome. He hit very well when healthy, but only played 58 games there due to health issues. Adding in his rehab games, he had a .288/.355/.496 line with 8 home runs and 2 stolen bases, posting a 8.73% walk rate and 19.05% strike out rate.
He played more extensively in the Mexican League that winter, playing 45 games, hitting .270/.319/.444 with 4 home runs and a steal, posting a 5.15% walk rate and 25.74% strikeout rate.
The Braves moved Meneses up to Carolina in 2015, and he continued his trend of struggling at a level at first glance at that level, hitting .239/.298/.327 with 3 home runs and 2 stolen bases. He also added a 7.39% walk rate and 18.48% strike out rate.
His winter in Mexico was a near repeat of his line from the previous winter, hitting .271/.333/.370 with 3 home runs and 2 stolen bases, posting a 6.86% walk rate, and a 21.57% strikeout rate.
2016 was a true breakout year for Meneses. He showed up to camp notably trimmer, looking ready to work hard on the season, and the results were immediate in his return to Carolina.
Meneses earned a promotion to Mississippi with his stellar hitting, but he once again hit his “first time at a level” wall, though a big part of that had to do with Meneses being moved to the outfield with Mississippi after primarily playing first base to that point in his minor league career.
Combined on the season, Meneses hit .290/.348/.413 with 7 home runs and 2 stolen bases. He also posted a 7.66% walk rate and a 15.32% strikeout rate.
Meneses is listed at 6’3″ and 190 pounds. He is certainly long and lean in his limbs.
Hitting
Contact (50) – Meneses has a tall stance at the plate with his hands back. He begins with the bat laid almost on his shoulder, which does lead to a bit of a load coming into his swing.
He does have a tremendous amount of bat speed through the zone, though he does have a more level bat path, which produces more gap power than over-the-fence power.
Power (40) – That level swing is likely not going to produce a 20+ home run season any time soon, but he definitely has a solid amount of gap power, and some adjustments to his swing could unleash some natural power in his swing that is already present and end up with more balls over the fence.
Eye (50) – Meneses isn’t a guy who walks 20% of the time or anything, but he does a solid job controlling the strike zone.
His bit of load does put him at a disadvantage at pitch recognition, though, so he doesn’t get quite the contact that he could get with his solid bat speed if he was better adept at picking up the ball out of the pitcher’s hand.
Base Running/Fielding
Speed (45) – Meneses is probably not a guy that you’ll ever see with 10+ steals, but he does offer solid speed when he’s at top speed between bases or in the outfield.
Defense (50) – Meneses at first is a fairly high-end defender, likely worthy of a 55 value as a first baseman.
He certainly had some rough spots in the outfield, but he had really done well in reading the ball off of the bat by the end of the season. His routes still could use some work, but I have a feeling with a spring of work, he would be able to really make strides there as well.
Arm (60) – Meneses is a pitcher with the Mexican team in the World Baseball Classic, and he’s touched 90+ off the mound, so his arm is certainly sufficient to be very good in right field.
He had minimal opportunities from the outfield in Mississippi as he converted, but he showed a very solid arm a number of times getting the ball in to the plate in a hurry to hold runners.
MLB Player Comp
They bat from opposite sides of the plate, but their builds and contact skills displayed by Meneses at Carolina reminded me strongly of Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich.
Yelich did break out with a 20 home run season, but it came on the back of an adjustment to his swing that created more loft, something I could certainly see working with Meneses as well.
Obviously, Yelich is a top-end comparison, but Meneses has shown an intensity of working at his craft that is admirable. His signing at 18 did put him a bit behind the 8-ball as far as age-relative-to-league for a typical “prospect”, but he’s shown enough to be considered as a future option at least as a solid bench option.
It would not surprise at all to see him being a solid option to play corner outfield and first base down the road off the bench, if not for the Braves, for someone.
He’ll likely open in AA Mississippi again, but hopefully he continues his trend of tearing up a level the year after struggling there and earns his way to AAA Gwinnett quickly.
