Oregon State Alum Wade Meckler Returns to Majors

Oregon State alum Wade Meckler, called up by the Angels last week, is off to a strong start with his new club.

May 22, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels left fielder Wade Meckler (53) is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

2026 has marked a career redemption for Oregon State alum Wade Meckler.

A month after breaking through to the Giants big league roster in August 2023, Meckler was optioned back to San Francisco's AAA affiliate in Sacramento.

Ever since, he's toiled in the minors, until getting called up late last week. In his Angels' debut Friday, Meckler homered off Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, with 2 hits and 1 walk on the day.

After the game, Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez praised his new teammate in an interview with MLB.com:

“Man, Wade Meckler set the tone for the game today. I mean, obviously [Neto] leading us off with a homer was great, and anytime you can get a leadoff homer is awesome. But Wade hitting that ball off deGrom, I mean, that's what got me going. Like, put it in four-wheel drive and let's go.”

Meckler, an Orange County native who grew up cheering for the Angels, took a long and windy path towards Friday's triumph.

Originally a walk-on at Oregon State, a quiet freshman year with only 10 at-bats resulted in his release from the program. In 2021, Meckler got another shot to wear orange-and-black, and he thrived. Despite playing through a nagging hamstring injury for most of the season, the walk-on outfielder batted .303, while playing 21 games in right and 15 games in left.

The following year, Meckler bat leadoff, hitting .347 - good for 4th in the Pac 12 that Spring - while helping Mitch Canham's Beavers reach a third, decisive game in the Corvallis Super Regional. Later that summer, the Giants picked the Oregon State standout in the eighth round of the 2022 Major League Baseball amateur draft, and he signed for just under a hundred thousand dollars.

Meckler's minor league journey began with the Giants' rookie-ball team in Arizona. After a mere 12 games, single-A San Jose came calling. Thirteen games later, the promising prospect returned to the Beaver State with the Giants then brand new high-A affiliate in Eugene, before spending the rest of 2023 between double-A Richmond and triple-A Sacramento. Before getting his first crack at the big leagues, Baseball America named Meckler the hitter with the best strike zone discipline in all of the Giants' farm system.

Following a brief spell in the big leagues in August and September 2023, Meckler returned to the minors, spending time at a variety of levels. In 87 appearances for the Giants' AAA affiliate Sacramento RiverCats last season, Meckler hit .287, and he was designated for assignment in December. In early January, the Angels claimed him off waivers, then shipped him to their triple-A team in Salt Lake City.

Now, the Oregon State alum has another chance to prove that he belongs at the game's highest level.