ANAHEIM — So far, the dream has played out pretty well for Wade Meckler.
The Anaheim native made a diving catch and hit a homer in his first inning with the Angels back in May. Since then, he’s sprinkled dramatic moments along with consistency the Angels haven’t seen often from a rookie hitter.
Meckler, 26, heads into the final 10 games of the season hitting .292 with a .751 OPS.
“He’s done really well this year,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “He’s shown a lot of great things, a lot of positive things. He plays hard every day. Everything he’s been doing has been really impressive. We just hope he keeps it up and keeps improving every day.”
Meckler said the key for him has been keeping the right mental approach each day.
“I’ve done a good job of separating games, whether it’s a good game or a bad game, kind of figuring out what the task at hand is for that night, based on who’s throwing, based on their bullpen, based on what I need to do on defense,” Meckler said. “I’ve done a good job of separating the different facets of the game over the length of the season.”
Meckler had a taste of the big leagues with the San Francisco Giants in 2023, getting just 64 plate appearances. He was designated for assignment by the Giants last winter, and the Angels grabbed him. They also later DFA’d him, but they were able to keep him on a minor league deal until calling him up in May.
Now, he’s become a key part of the Angels’ lineup. He has been hitting third, behind Zach Neto and Mike Trout. Ideally, he’s probably suited to be a leadoff hitter, but Nolan Schanuel’s absence has left a hole in the middle of the lineup.
Meckler doesn’t always play against lefties, and when he does, he usually bats ninth. He has a .789 OPS against righties and a .515 OPS against lefties this season.
Meckler said in the minors he typically did better against lefties the more he saw them.
“In Double-A, we faced the Nationals’ team and they threw six lefties in a row,” Meckler said. “The first three games, I felt terrible. The last three games, I felt great. It’s just one of those things that comes with at-bats. I think I have the tools to handle different types of left-handed pitching, but I need to expand the toolbox a little bit. Part of that just comes with at-bats and experience and just getting better at the approach stuff. I think I’m more than capable of being productive against both sides.”
Suzuki said he has seen encouraging signs from Meckler against lefties.
“We haven’t seen many at-bats, but for the most part he stays in there well,” Suzuki said. “He uses the whole field, stays on the offspeed stuff well. There’s a lot to like, for sure.”
SCHANUEL UPDATE
Schanuel, who is out with a strained intercostal muscle, is returning to Anaheim because soreness interrupted his rehab assignment after one game at Triple-A Salt Lake.
Although the setback makes it seem unlikely that the first baseman will return before the end of the season, Suzuki wasn’t closing the door entirely.
“I understand where we’re at in the year,” Suzuki said. “I know we’re getting close to the end. We’re going to evaluate him. See where we’re at. See how he’s feeling.”
NOTES
Suzuki had no report on Thursday afternoon from Samy Natera Jr.’s MRI exam, which had been scheduled for earlier in the day. The relief pitcher is on the injured list because of forearm inflammation, so his season is over. …
Right-hander George Klassen said he felt good during his bullpen session on Tuesday, and he’s scheduled for another one on Friday. He is expecting to mix in more sliders and curveballs this time. Klassen (back) said he’d like to get back and pitch at least once before the end of the season.
UP NEXT
Twins (LHP Connor Prelip, 5-7, 5.24 ERA) at Angels (RHP Grayson Rodriguez, 4-7, 6.10 ERA), Friday, 6:38 p.m., ABTV, 830 AM