Chase Meidroth

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #13 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Meidroth was limited to 19 games in his first two college seasons at San Diego as a result of the pandemic-compressed 2020 campaign and a shoulder injury in 2021. When he got on the field in 2022, his bat-to-ball skills, elite strike-zone judgment and feel for the game vaulted him from a potential Day 3 draftee to the Red Sox in the fourth round, where he signed a below-slot bonus for $272,500. He excelled at the start of 2023 in High-A Greenville, which resulted in a quick promotion to Double-A, where he appeared comfortable against the quality of competition.
  
  Scouting Report: Though Meidroth’s squat frame makes him easy to overlook, he tends to win over evaluators with his plate discipline, direct swing with a high-contact, all-fields approach and average defensive instincts at multiple spots. Power will never be his hallmark, but the Red Sox believe he has a chance to increase his bat speed to help more of his liners find the gaps with the potential for double-digit homer totals. Defensively, he’s a sure-handed fielder with quick hands who shows adequate range and arm strength at both second and third base, suggesting a floor as a righthanded utility infielder with a chance to exceed that profile.
  
  The Future: Meidroth could compete for a Triple-A spot out of spring training, and his well-rounded game could make him a big league infield depth option at some point in 2024. He could emerge as a bottom-of-the-order regular if he gains strength and bat speed.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 45
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #27 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Very High
  
  Track Record: Largely unrecruited out of high school, Meidroth played just 19 games at San Diego before taking full advantage of regular playing time in 2022, hitting .329/.440/.544 with 10 homers. He improved his stock by holding his own in the Cape Cod League, leading the Red Sox to take him in the fourth round and sign him to a below-slot bonus of $272,500. Meidroth dominated in his pro debut, hitting .309/.424/.559 with four homers and more walks than strikeouts in 19 games with Low-A Salem.
  
  Scouting Report: A stocky 5-foot-10 player whose raw tools are easily overlooked, Meidroth has excellent hand-eye coordination, getting the barrel to the ball with a flat bat path and a high contact rate. Once in pro ball, he embraced suggestions about small posture tweaks, with a more upright stance allowing him to more frequently pull the ball in the air. The results came so quickly that it created optimism about the possibility of 40- to 45-grade power along with an excellent hit tool. His limited arm makes his best fit second base, where his range grades as below-average, but his reliable hands and clock make him serviceable. He may also see time at third and short.
  
  The Future: Meidroth may get pushed to High-A Greenville to start 2023, and has a chance to hit his way to a profile in the mold of a righthanded version of Tommy La Stella.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 40. Speed: 30. Fielding: 45. Arm: 40.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #258 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: San Diego Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
  Age At Draft: 21
  A 5-foot-10, 170-pound second baseman, Meidroth dealt with injuries that limited him to just six games with San Diego during the 2021 season, but he came back healthy and performed at a high level during the 2022 season. Meidroth hit .329/.440/.544 with 10 home runs, 19 doubles and far more walks (40) than strikeouts (25) this spring. He showed similar plate discipline during the Northwoods League in the summer of 2021, when he slashed .345/.471/.437 with 40 walks and just 13 strikeouts. Meidroth is a smaller hitter who doesn’t have much in the way of raw power, and instead uses a line drive swing and average bat speed to make plenty of contact and spray the ball into the gaps. Meidroth’s home run power was almost exclusively to the pull side and his exit velocities and lack of physical projection don’t suggest much more power in the future. A below-average runner who is probably best at second base, Meidroth should pop on draft models that value contact, approach and youth—he turns 21 only a few days after the draft.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Very High
  
  Track Record: Largely unrecruited out of high school, Meidroth played just 19 games at San Diego before taking full advantage of regular playing time in 2022, hitting .329/.440/.544 with 10 homers. He improved his stock by holding his own in the Cape Cod League, leading the Red Sox to take him in the fourth round and sign him to a below-slot bonus of $272,500. Meidroth dominated in his pro debut, hitting .309/.424/.559 with four homers and more walks than strikeouts in 19 games with Low-A Salem.
  
  Scouting Report: A stocky 5-foot-10 player whose raw tools are easily overlooked, Meidroth has excellent hand-eye coordination, getting the barrel to the ball with a flat bat path and a high contact rate. Once in pro ball, he embraced suggestions about small posture tweaks, with a more upright stance allowing him to more frequently pull the ball in the air. The results came so quickly that it created optimism about the possibility of 40- to 45-grade power along with an excellent hit tool. His limited arm makes his best fit second base, where his range grades as below-average, but his reliable hands and clock make him serviceable. He may also see time at third and short.
  
  The Future: Meidroth may get pushed to High-A Greenville to start 2023, and has a chance to hit his way to a profile in the mold of a righthanded version of Tommy La Stella.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 40. Speed: 30. Fielding: 45. Arm: 40.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Very High
  
  Track Record: Largely unrecruited out of high school, Meidroth played just 19 games at San Diego before taking full advantage of regular playing time in 2022, hitting .329/.440/.544 with 10 homers. He improved his stock by holding his own in the Cape Cod League, leading the Red Sox to take him in the fourth round and sign him to a below-slot bonus of $272,500. Meidroth dominated in his pro debut, hitting .309/.424/.559 with four homers and more walks than strikeouts in 19 games with Low-A Salem.
  
  Scouting Report: A stocky 5-foot-10 player whose raw tools are easily overlooked, Meidroth has excellent hand-eye coordination, getting the barrel to the ball with a flat bat path and a high contact rate. Once in pro ball, he embraced suggestions about small posture tweaks, with a more upright stance allowing him to more frequently pull the ball in the air. The results came so quickly that it created optimism about the possibility of 40- to 45-grade power along with an excellent hit tool. His limited arm makes his best fit second base, where his range grades as below-average, but his reliable hands and clock make him serviceable. He may also see time at third and short.
  
  The Future: Meidroth may get pushed to High-A Greenville to start 2023, and has a chance to hit his way to a profile in the mold of a righthanded version of Tommy La Stella.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 40. Speed: 30. Fielding: 45. Arm: 40.