Chase Meidroth made his MLB debut tonight and accomplished a feat that had not happened for over 35 years. Per OptaSTATS, Meidroth is the first player with a hit and three walks in his MLB debut since Larry Walker of the Montreal Expos did it on August 16th, 1989. Walker is a Hall of Famer, by the way.
Meidroth’s Instant Impact
The White Sox officially called up Meidroth from AAA yesterday to inject some life into the lineup. He had been crushing the ball in the minors, and the White Sox woeful offense desperately needed a boost. To say his first MLB game was successful would be an understatement. Meidroth reached base in all four of his plate appearances, scoring two runs. His presence helped keep the White Sox lineup moving from top to bottom, as the team scored 11 runs on 12 hits. It was one of the team’s most impressive performances of the season thus far and their first win in over a week.
Elite On-Base Skills
Meidroth’s MLB debut provided a glimpse into the type of player he is. Games like tonight are the norm for him. He led the International League in on-base percentage by a wide margin last season at .437. For reference, Alejo Lopez finished second with a .392 OBP.
Drawing walks is an integral part of Meidroth’s game. He walked at almost a 19% clip last season in AAA, a 20% clip in a small AAA sample this season, and continued that trend by walking three times in his MLB debut. Meidroth also hardly ever strikes out. He had just 71 strikeouts in 558 plate appearances at the AAA level in 2024 and struck out just five times in 40 AAA plate appearances this season.
White Sox Lineup Placement Moving Forward
Meidroth hit seventh in the White Sox lineup tonight, but he likely will not hit that low for much longer. If his first game is any indication, he already has some of the best on-base skills of anyone in the lineup and could be one of the team’s best hitters, even as a rookie. It was an impressive initial showing and a much-needed positive performance for a White Sox team amid a tailspin.
The Future Is Now
Chase Meidroth is the first notable White Sox prospect to get the call to the big leagues in 2025. Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel will soon follow and Colson Montgomery will hopefully not be far behind them. As woeful as the team has been this season, better days are ahead. A new era of White Sox baseball is on the horizon.
