Joey Meneses Stats
- Height / Weight
- 6' 3" / 240 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 5/6/1992 (30)
- Experience
- 1
- College
- None
Joey Meneses Season Stats
Last 10 Games
Joey Meneses News
Washington Nationals first baseman Joey Meneses is serving as the designated hitter and is batting second on Opening Day on Thursday against left-hander Max Fried and the Atlanta Braves. Meneses should be an everyday player for the Nationals between DH, first base and the outfield. Right fielder Lane Thomas is leading off for the Nats, with shortstop C.J. Abrams in the nine-hole. The 30-year-old Meneses didn't do much in Grapefruit League play, but he displayed his power while playing for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Meneses hit an impressive .324 with 13 home runs and 34 RBI in his first 56 major-league games in D.C. in his rookie season in 2022.
MLB.com's Jessica Camerato tweeted on Monday that "Dave Martinez sees Joey Meneses playing 'a lot a bit of a little bit of everywhere' this season -- first base, left field, DH." Meneses previously saw time at first base and in both outfield corners as a rookie during the 2022 campaign. The 30-year-old hit .324 with a .367 on-base percentage, 13 home runs, and a stolen base in 240 plate appearances for the Nationals in his debut season. He also logged a .286 average, a .341 on-base percentage, 20 home runs, and a stolen base in 414 plate appearances for Washington's Triple-A affiliate in 2022.
Washington Nationals outfielder Joey Meneses had another monster day at the plate Saturday, continuing his torrid stretch. The breakout star went a combined four-for-seven with four runs, four RBI, and a homer over the course of the doubleheader. Today's effort brings Meneses slash line to .332/.373/.587, and he has chipped in 33 runs, 33 RBI, and 13 homers over 208 at-bats. It's pretty incredible to see what the 30-year-old rookie has been able to do since the Nationals called him up to replace Juan Soto, and he could be worth a late-round pick next year in hopes he can continue his Cinderella story.
Batting Order
| 1 | Lane Thomas |
| 2 | Joey Meneses |
| 3 | Jeimer Candelario |
| 4 | Dominic Smith |
| 5 | Keibert Ruiz |
| 6 | Alex Call |
| 7 | Luis García |
| 8 | Victor Robles |
| 9 | CJ Abrams |
Joey Meneses Stats
Last 10 Games
Batting Order
| 1 | Lane Thomas |
| 2 | Joey Meneses |
| 3 | Jeimer Candelario |
| 4 | Dominic Smith |
| 5 | Keibert Ruiz |
| 6 | Alex Call |
| 7 | Luis García |
| 8 | Victor Robles |
| 9 | CJ Abrams |
Washington Nationals first baseman/outfielder Joey Meneses came out of nowhere at age 30 to be one of the best hitters over his 56 games in 2022. He hit .324, smashed 13 home runs, drove in 34, scored 33 runs, and stole one base. His .267 xBA and .457 xSLG reveals Meneses was a bit lucky, but these are still solid numbers. He was a standout hitter in the minors, compiling a career .281/.337/.431 slash line and slugged 35 homers over his last 184 games. Meneses posted an excellent 91.4 MPH average exit velocity with a 2.9% pop-up rate in 2022, and his 19.8% professional career strikeout rate means he should continue being a help in batting average. The former undrafted free agent ran a 25.5% FB/HR percentage in 2022 but barreled balls 9.9% of the time, and his 10 expected bombs still put him on pace for about 29 homers. Meneses is slow on the basepaths (18th percentile sprint speed), so he won't be a factor in the stolen base department. However, he'll be in the heart of the lineup as one of the best bats on the Nationals, allowing him to reach 160 RBI plus runs. Pitchers will try to adjust, but Meneses is a talent at the plate and should be able to adapt in his sophomore season. He has dual eligibility at first base and the outfield, and his value makes him a steal at either position considering his 198 ADP.
