2 years agoWashington Nationals first baseman/outfielder Joey Meneses came out of nowhere at age 30 to be one of the best hitters over his 56 games in 2022. He hit .324, smashed 13 home runs, drove in 34, scored 33 runs, and stole one base. His .267 xBA and .457 xSLG reveals Meneses was a bit lucky, but these are still solid numbers. He was a standout hitter in the minors, compiling a career .281/.337/.431 slash line and slugged 35 homers over his last 184 games. Meneses posted an excellent 91.4 MPH average exit velocity with a 2.9% pop-up rate in 2022, and his 19.8% professional career strikeout rate means he should continue being a help in batting average. The former undrafted free agent ran a 25.5% FB/HR percentage in 2022 but barreled balls 9.9% of the time, and his 10 expected bombs still put him on pace for about 29 homers. Meneses is slow on the basepaths (18th percentile sprint speed), so he won't be a factor in the stolen base department. However, he'll be in the heart of the lineup as one of the best bats on the Nationals, allowing him to reach 160 RBI plus runs. Pitchers will try to adjust, but Meneses is a talent at the plate and should be able to adapt in his sophomore season. He has dual eligibility at first base and the outfield, and his value makes him a steal at either position considering his 198 ADP.--Spencer Seguin