Curtis Mead making waves this Spring

Coming into play on Friday, Curtis Mead has been the very best offensive participant in all of Spring Coaching. He’s hitting .778/.810/1.000 with a MLB main 382 wRC+; Mead has a 14.3 BB% and 4.8 Ok%, each are staggering variations from his profession norms, as is his 5.1 WHIFF%, which is half of what his WHIFF% has been within the massive leagues.

In fact, that is solely over 21 plate appearances and Spring Coaching statistics are subsequent to meaningless.

The Rays greatest hitter final yr in spring coaching with not less than 20 plate appearances? He hit .333/.417/.714 with a 193 wRC+; it was Nick Meyer, a Mets prospect on a minor league invitation. He was launched earlier than the top of camp.

Mead’s line appears much more flashy, however to additional dig into Mead’s videogame like numbers, he solely has two additional base hits and a kind of was nearly definitely aided by the wind because it carried the ball simply previous an outstretched glove for a double. So what are we actually taking a look at right here?

Added Power

In keeping with Baseball Savant, Mead has put 17 balls in play this spring. We solely have statcast knowledge for seven of these, however of these seven, Mead has an exit velocity of 98.9 or increased on 4 of them. That is already a an awesome signal, as Mead solely had 32 balls in play all of final season with an exit velocity over 98mph.

In the course of the previous two seasons, Mead has 224 plate appearances on the massive league stage and has solely mustered two homeruns; one in every of which barely eeked over the Rays brief nook in left discipline and would have solely been a homerun in Tropicana Area. He has a .312 SLG% and .068 ISO, each are among the many lowest within the MLB over that point.

In the course of the offseason, Mead made it a precedence so as to add muscle to his body and give attention to his offensive output as that’s what made him one of many recreation’s high prospects. Mead drifted from this focus as soon as he reached the cusp of the large leagues as he seemed to enhance his total outlook; he tried to turn into faster on the basepaths and extra agile defensively. Nevertheless, the enhancements made defensively have been marginal at greatest and his capability to hit for energy suffered. That is what led to Mead reversing course and looking out regain his offensive footing.

Mead added 20 kilos of muscle and is continually retooling his stance on the plate as his method appears to alter every day. For now, no matter Mead is doing, it appears to work and he’s gaining the eye of the Rays administration and the baseball world on the whole.

Jeff Passan talked about Curtis Mead as a participant that scouts have been raving about to this point in Spring Coaching. Rays hitting coach Chad Mottola seen the distinction in Mead immediately as soon as camp opened up.

“I’m seeing a special Curtis Mead. I’ve by no means seen the Curtis Mead that we’re seeing proper now, a free-moving, in-the-box sort of participant, the place he doesn’t need to seek for further energy.”

That is all nice information for Mead and the Rays. The infielder has seemingly rediscovered his swing and may be capable of succeed on the massive league stage.

What’s Subsequent?

Does this imply that he’ll begin the season on the Rays lively roster?

In December, the Rays signed Eloy Jimenez as they seemed so as to add an influence right-handed bat to their lineup. He impressed the Rays brass throughout a go to to the Dominican Republic earlier this yr and impressed them once more as he arrived in camp.

Jimenez has “struggled” early on this spring from a statline perspective, however has proven indicators of his potential with some loud contact and an extended homerun. If the Rays like what they see in his HitFX, it appears like an nearly certainty that he will likely be on the Rays Opening Day roster, ought to he stay wholesome, which is a big query mark in the case of Jimenez.

In the meantime, Curtis Mead nonetheless has a minor league possibility remaining, so the Rays don’t have any danger in sending Mead to Triple-A Durham to see if his offensive retooling stays profitable.

Given the 2 contracts, Mead’s efficiency is not any lock for him making the Majors out of camp.