After a four-game series in which they averaged 3.25 runs per game (while taking three of four from the Cleveland Guardians), the Detroit Tigers’ offense is getting some help in the form of outfield prospect Parker Meadows.
The Tigers announced Sunday night that Meadows, the franchise’s second-round pick in 2018 (No. 44 overall), will be called up from Triple-A Toledo on Monday ahead of their game against the Chicago Cubs. The Tigers did not immediately announce a corresponding move.
With the Mud Hens, Meadows posted a .256/.337/.474 slash line that includes 19 homers, 123 strikeouts and 57 walks in 517 plate appearances. A solid defender, Meadows has played 90 games in center field this season, with 17 appearances in left field and five games in right, with two starts at designated hitter.
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A whopping 13 of his home runs this season have come since June 1; in 64 games since then, Meadows is hitting .271 with an .873 OPS, including 17 doubles, 72 strikeouts and 31 walks in 295 plate appearances. He homered on Saturday night in the Mud Hens’ loss to Omaha, the Kansas City Royals’ Triple-A affiliate.
Meadows attributed his summer improvement to a heightened attitude, telling the Free Press in June: “I don’t press at all,” he said. “I don’t like to think about anything, other than the present. I’m just trying to do whatever I can to win the day. So there was no pressure, no pressing. None of that.”
Meadows, 23, launched himself back into the ranks of the Tigers’ top prospects with a 2022 in which he hit .275 with 16 home runs in 113 games for Double-A Erie. He tied for the team lead in home runs in spring training, with five, and was assigned to Triple-A Toledo to open 2023. In its latest rankings, Meadows was slotted in as the Tigers’ No. 10 prospect.
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The Georgia native is the younger brother of Tigers outfielder Austin Meadows, who is on the 60-day injured list with anxiety. The elder Meadows has played 36 games for the Tigers over two seasons since being acquired in an April trade from the Tampa Bay Rays last season.
Meadows will be the fifth member of the Tigers’ 2018 draft class to play in the majors. No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize made his debut in 2020; the right-hander is currently on the 60-day IL following Tommy John surgery and a back issue. Utility player Kody Clemens, the Tigers’ third-round pick that year appeared in 56 games for the Tigers in 2022 before being traded to Philadelphia in the Gregory Soto deal in the winter.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal, the ninth-round pick that year, also debuted in 2020 and has made 68 appearances over three seasons, including eight in 2023 after flexor tendon surgery ended his 2022 season in August. Right-hander Garrett Hill, a 26th-round pick in 2018 (No. 765 overall), made his MLB debut in July 2022; he has 25 appearances, including eight starts, with the Tiers, including eight relief outings this season.
Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @theford. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.