You wouldn’t expect a laid-back Southern California dude like Chase Meidroth to be described as “an animal.”
Maybe a panda. That’s the super-chill vibe he brings to the clubhouse — not to mention the panda is a famed resident of San Diego, where Meidroth played in college.
But the rookie infielder is a changed man when he steps out onto the field, bringing an absolute fire to the game. And the White Sox can’t get enough.
“He brings a little edge to the top of the lineup,” coach Grady Sizemore, the team’s offensive coordinator, said Sunday. “The guy is quiet all day, but he gets in the box and he’s very animated. There’s a little edge he plays with, and guys feed off that.
“I don’t really hear him talk much. He’s always smiling. Then, in the box, he looks like an animal. He’s very animated. He’s scream-ing, he’s yelling. It’s fun to see. I encourage those guys to play with that edge and be themselves and not change who they are just because they’re in the situation of being at the top of the order in the big leagues. Use everything you have to your advantage.”
Meidroth, the first in what has become a string of rookies the Sox have called up this season, has been great in his first taste of the majors, providing a glimpse into the future that general manager Chris Getz is attempting to build. He came over from the Red Sox organization in the Garrett Crochet trade in December and coincidentally made his big-league debut April 11 against the Red Sox, breaking up Crochet’s no-hit bid during his first weekend.
Since then, it has been nothing but consistency from Meidroth, who leads the Sox with a .299 batting average and is reaching base at a .383 clip batting at or near the top of the lineup. His 120 wRC-plus ranks sixth among qualified rookies in the majors. That he’s second on the Sox with 1.6 bWAR shows he has been great defensively, too, playing mostly shortstop. He has been a key player in the Sox’ infield, which turned five double plays in Sunday’s loss to the Royals, with Meidroth in the middle of the action.
“He’s been excellent over there,” fellow Sox infielder Josh Rojas told the Sun-Times. “He’s been fun to play next to. And he’s also been raking.
“[Offensively, he’s been] consistent. He has a pretty solid plan every time he goes up there — he’s not going to try to do too much. He’s going to make sure you throw it in the strike zone, and when you do throw it in the strike zone, he’s going to take his knocks when he can get them.”
At the bottom of the American League with a 22-44 record and in the thick of a rebuild, the Sox aren’t expected to send many players to the All-Star Game next month. But every team needs a representative, and while rookie starting pitcher Shane Smith seems an obvious choice at the moment with a 2.45 ERA in 12 starts, Meidroth would fit into that discussion as well as anyone.
As good as he has been at the plate and in the infield, his on-field alter ego has been another thing for the Sox to rave about as they try to build a culture and establish an identity.
“It’s one of my favorite things to watch right now, watching [Miedroth] getting fired up after a tough call or an at-bat where he didn’t do what he wanted to do or didn’t stick to the plan,” Rojas said. “He gets a little fiery. I like to watch it.”
With the future finally peeking through on the South Side, it’s something fans can enjoy watching, too.