The Washington Nationals are, statistically, the worst team in baseball.
Their 53-100 record is the league’s worst, and their -222 run differential is the second-worst behind the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Everybody knew this would be the case before the season, after trading most of their talent in the last few years.
They even traded Juan Soto, which seemed impossible at one time.
However, despite their obvious limitations on the field and roster-wise, they have made a very good discovery.
First baseman/outfielder Joey Meneses is showing he belongs in Major League Baseball after a whole career playing in the minor leagues, the Mexican league and the NPB in Japan.
The 30-year-old slugger is not your typical rookie, but is finally getting a real chance and is impressing.
“Top four players with 61 hits and 12 home runs in their first 46 Major League games, per the @Nationals: 1. Ryan Braun (MIL): 62/14; 2. Yordan Alvarez (HOU): 61/17; 3. Orlando Cepeda (SF): 61/13; 4. Joey Meneses (WSH): 61/12,” Nationals insider Jessica Camerato tweeted.
Top four players with 61 hits and 12 home runs in their first 46 Major League games, per the @Nationals:
1. Ryan Braun (MIL): 62/14
2. Yordan Alvarez (HOU): 61/17
3. Orlando Cepeda (SF): 61/13
4. Joey Meneses (WSH): 61/12— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) September 26, 2022
Meneses Can Hit For Both Average And Power
That particular stat speaks highly about Meneses’ ability to hit for both average and power, something he has achieved during his whole playing career.
With a 143 wRC+ (an offensive stat that helps compare performance with the league average output, which is 100), he was the MVP of the International League (Triple-A) in 2018.
This year, he is sporting an impressive 158 wRC+ in 204 MLB plate appearances.
He is hitting .326/.363/.579 with the 12 home runs in limited action.
We have seen many hitters perform like this over a small sample, only to struggle in subsequent years: that’s why Meneses will need to repeat this next year to fully prove himself.
However, there is no denying that fans are excited to have a productive player on their decimated roster.
NEXT: CJ Abrams Can't Stop Making Highlights In Washington
