KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Once considered the third piece of the four-player package the Red Sox sent to the White Sox in the trade for left-hander Garrett Crochet in December 2024, Chase Meidroth has blossomed into the best second baseman in Chicago.
If wins above replacement can be trusted, Meidroth was the most valuable everyday player at the position in the American League, even before he drove in five runs in the Sox’ 14-11 victory Tuesday against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
‘‘When you come through for your team, there’s not a better feeling,’’ Meidroth said after the game.
Meidroth isn’t one to sing his own praises, but plenty will do it for him.
‘‘He leaves it all out there,’’ said catcher Kyle Teel, the headliner among the players the Sox got in the Crochet trade. ‘‘He’s always going to bring everything he’s got, every single time.’’
‘‘He’s a guy who brings fire,’’ double-play partner Colson Montgomery said. ‘‘He does a lot of things that a lot of us can’t do, and he plays the crap out of second base.’’
Montgomery was referring to how, on an offense built on power but also striking out at the fifth-highest rate in the majors, Meidroth is a peskier, contact-oriented hitter who provides a frustrating change of pace against opposing pitchers.
That said, much of Meidroth’s breakout can be summed up by him unlocking the power to drive his 16th home run of the season — easily a professional single-season high — an estimated 410 feet Tuesday.
Meidroth often is cited as a beneficiary of the Sox’ emphasis on bat-speed training, though his numbers don’t reflect a huge jump and the occasional power strokes he allows himself are buried amid a host of shorter, slower swings dictated by the game situation. He’s not one to get into the weeds about his swing mechanics, but his coaches are happy to talk him up.
‘‘There’s a few things you could point to, but it’s also knowing before two strikes, what’s he using?’’ hitting director Ryan Fuller said. ‘‘When can he take his best swing over the middle of the plate, rather than the contact-oriented one he does with two strikes? It’s him understanding the game better, game-planning, picking his spots when he’s in the box of being able to let it go a little bit.’’
Not only is Meidroth slugging .460 with nine homers since the All-Star break, but he has done it despite playing much of that time with a sore left wrist that often has required a brace or wrap.
‘‘He’s been playing through some things a little bit, and I think that’s kind of affected his offensive numbers,’’ outfielder/designated hitter Randal Grichuk told the Sun-Times. ‘‘Not necessarily here, but you play with some guys that they . . . want the day off. That’s not him at all.’’
With his all-business approach, Meidroth cuts an amusing contrast to the bubbly persona of his in-season roommate, pitcher Mike Vasil. The rehabbing right-hander acknowledges the difference in personalities but thinks there’s a lot missed behind the scenes.
‘‘It’s his ability to actually listen and learn and ability to also admit when he doesn’t feel right or is struggling or knows he needs extra help,’’ Vasil said. ‘‘It kind of reflects on other guys, too. Because he’s constantly having conversations — whether it’s with [third-base coach Justin Jirschele] about defense, whether it’s [with hitting coach Derek Shomon] about hitting — and making adjustments to get better.’’
As recently as last season, the Sox suspected Meidroth would settle into a utility role by the time they reached contention. If the Red Sox thought differently, they wouldn’t have traded him after a dominant 2024 season in Triple-A.
But Meidroth has shown projections only can tell you so much.
‘‘He’s still evolving,’’ general manager Chris Getz said. ‘‘We are here to guide him.’’