John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Is Houston Astros Fan Favorite Meyers an Underrated Outfielder?
Jake Meyers of the Houston Astros is often overlooked on a team loaded with outfield talent.
But he’s proven his worth time and time again, and has improved dramatically at the plate after starting the season in an offensive slump.
Meyers is a phenomenal defensive outfielder, as his Outs Above Average (OAA) numbers — a metric often used to determine a player’s defensive value — has been solid since he got the call to the Majors back in 2021.
Although the young outfielder only saw limited playing time in his rookie campaign, Meyers concluded the 2021 MLB season with an OAA of 4.
In his first season getting significant starts in the outfield, Meyers posted an OAA of 7 in 2022 and has an OAA of 5 thus far in 2023.
Offensively, meanwhile, Meyers has turned the corner after a slow start, as the 26-year-old is slashing .269/.356/.577 over the last 15 games and .236/.308/.443 over the past 30 contests.
In fact, he went 4-for-5 with a home run in Monday night's Astros win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Astros have a plethora of outfield talent on their roster — including All-Stars Yordan Álvarez and Kyle Tucker along with defensive Superman Chas McCormick — but Meyers is beginning to show that he belongs in the lineup.
And he’s also one of the best defensive outfielders in the Majors — possibly even as talented as McCormick, who has become accustomed to making highlight-reel catches.
With Meyers’ newfound ability at the plate, along with his ongoing defensive prowess, now is the time for the Astros to take the division lead over the Rangers.
Houston (36-26) currently sits 4.5 games behind first-place Texas (40-21) in the American League West.
The Astros face the Blue Jays in Canada again on Thursday, while the Rangers have a day off.
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