Meneses on his growth since big league debut

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Ten seasons of grinding through the Minor Leagues culminated on Aug. 2, 2022, for Joey Meneses. In the past year, he has transformed from a long-term Major League hopeful to the Nationals' designated hitter.

At the one-year anniversary of making his big league debut at age 30, Meneses isn’t taking a single game for granted.

“I’m trying to do my best all the time because I want to stay here,” Meneses said this week.

Meneses arrived at Nationals Park last August amid the completion of one of the biggest trades in baseball. Juan Soto and Josh Bell were moved to the Padres, leaving a massive hole to be filled in the Nats’ offense.

“I was uncertain, I was nervous,” Meneses recalled. “I went to Davey's [manager Dave Martinez’s] office when I got here. I remember the first thing he told me was, ‘Are you ready to play?’”

All signs pointed to yes. Meneses walloped a home run in his Major League debut, becoming the seventh player in Nationals history (2005-present) to do so.

That immediate success was the beginning of a head-turning offensive showcase for the rest of the 2022 season. Meneses would pummel 13 homers in 56 games with 72 hits, 34 RBIs, a .324/.367/563 slash line and .930 OPS.

During this stretch last season, Meneses became the first player in Nationals franchise history (dating back to the Expos) to hit five home runs in his first nine games. He also put together a nine-game and 11-game hitting streak, belted a walk-off home run and had an inside-the-park homer, among other accolades.

“[I was surprised] because I had never been on this level,” said Meneses. “I saw a lot of players that had a lot of success in the Minors or winter ball, and when they got to the big leagues, they didn’t have that success. That’s why when I started playing every day, I started hitting, I started hitting homers and everything, I was like, ‘Wow, I can do this, I can play on this level.’”

This season, the Nationals shifted Meneses from first base to the DH role. Unlike last year, he did not homer immediately. Meneses hit his first dinger on April 21, and his batting average reached .300 in mid-May.

“When he doesn’t get a hit, he’s hard on himself,” said Martinez. “We always ask him why, and he says, ‘It took me a long time to be here, and I want to be here for a while.’ I appreciate the way he goes about his business and what he does. He loves the game, he loves to play and he’s a really good hitter.”

Meneses’ power has picked up. He hit six home runs in July, and his situational hitting ranks him third in baseball versus right-handers with runners in scoring position (.439; minimum 50 plate appearances).

“He’s learned a lot about himself and what he needs to do,” said Martinez. “… He goes up there and he tries to square every ball up. That’s what makes him who he is; he stays on balls well. He’s fighting right now a little about wanting to hit more home runs because last year he had some success doing that. But all of a sudden, it comes. When it comes, it comes in bunches for him. So I just say, ‘Get yourself ready to hit and try to hit everything hard like you always do.’”

Meneses began the week of his Major League anniversary in style reminiscent of last season. He went 3-for-4 with three RBIs against the Brewers on Monday, two days before his one-year milestone. On Friday, he homered in the series opener against the Reds. Does his offensive success have anything to do with the calendar?

“In reality, no,” Meneses said with a laugh. “But things happened last year. Obviously, I remember and have good memories. But I feel good, and hopefully I can do like last year in these two months.”