Meneses' discipline, routine already yielding positive results

ST. LOUIS -- After Joey Meneses grinded for 10 seasons in the Minor Leagues, he wasn’t about to stop hustling as hard once he made it to the bigs.

So while he’s making his offensive success look effortless with 42 hits in his first 30 games, the 30-year-old rookie isn’t settling since earning his Major League callup Aug. 2.

“I always heard, when you’re a rookie or [in] your first year, you always try to be early,” Meneses said Tuesday before going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles in the Nationals’ 4-1 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Meneses has developed a pregame routine that includes working out, stretching and hitting in the cage, and he follows it consistently. He takes the first team bus to the ballpark as often as possible so he doesn’t feel rushed while he completes it.

“There are a few things [I have learned since being called up],” Meneses said. “Don’t forget to work. Some players when they get here, they forget to go to the gym, be early. Those things, I think they’re very important because the coaches, the managers, they always see you if you’re working, if you’re early. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing good or bad, you have to work every time.”

The coaching staff has taken notice of that discipline.

“He works hard,” said manager Dave Martinez. “He studies the pitcher. He’s got a game plan every game about what he wants to do up there. He’s been good. He’s helped us in a lot of ways. … For a guy that’s stuck around for a long time [and] gets an opportunity to get to the Major Leagues, he’s done really well.”

Meneses is slashing .344/.375/.582 with a .957 OPS, seven home runs (including a walk-off, three-run homer Thursday), eight doubles and 16 RBIs since his promotion from Triple-A. His 42 hits in his first 30 games are the most by a rookie since Bo Bichette hit 45 in 2019 with the Blue Jays. Meneses has hit safely in 26 of his 30 games, including his second multi-double game of the season Tuesday.

“He’s always in every at-bat, he’s always ready for the next pitch,” said Martinez. “Watching him turn on a ball like he did that last inning was awesome [when he doubled to left field off Ryan Helsley]. That ball was up in the zone, he got to it fairly well. I wouldn’t say that he surprises me because I felt when I saw him in Spring Training that he had a quick bat, but he’s done it all year and he continues to do it.”

Meneses’ approach and mindset are appreciated by his teammates. Like Meneses, Tuesday’s starter Paolo Espino spent a long time in the Minors (10 seasons) before getting called up.

“He has really good routines,” Espino said postgame. “I was just talking to him, he was doing some stuff to get ready for tomorrow, treating his body well. He’s been around for a while -- not in the big leagues, but he’s been in baseball for a while. … I think during the time in the Minor Leagues, we learned what we needed to do to be able to go out there and compete every day.”

With repetition of routine, Meneses has seen a positive change in his baseball career. One month in the big leagues is just a glimpse into the potential of how his hard work can pay off.

“I think that all the years have given me confidence,” Meneses said. “I know myself, I know when I am doing something wrong. I think that is what has given me success here.”