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Angels Add Interesting Outfield Prospect in Wade Meckler
Feb 20, 2025; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants outfield Wade Meckler (53) poses for photo during media day. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

The Angels claimed Wade Meckler from the San Francisco Giants today, adding a very interesting young player to the outfield mix. The 25 year old Meckler has consistently produced at the minor league level but has yet to get much playing time in the big leagues. San Francisco put Meckler on waivers last month

Meckler's most likely fit on the Angels is in center field or as a fourth outfielder. Baseball America lauds him as having plus-plus speed which gives him the ability to cover a lot of ground. His left handed bat would also be welcome in a very right heavy Angels lineup.

Center field is currently wide open for the Angels, who desperately need to improve their team defense after a horrible showing in 2025. The team is also severely lacking in overall depth, so a speedy lefty off the bench would be a pleasant addition. Meckler also has options remaining and could be stashed in AAA but as of now he's likely headed to Spring Training with a legitimate shot at a Major League job.

Contact and speed are the key components to Meckler's game. He has very little power but has consistently worked walks, hit for solid average, and played good defense.

Meckler is a local product who had a very interesting path to this point.

Meckler attended Esperanza High School, which is a short drive from Angels Stadium. After graduating high school he went to Oregon State hoping to make the baseball team. Wade made the team then performed well enough to get drafted in the 8th round of the 2022 draft by the Giants.

As you can see above, he was rushed to the majors for a cup of coffee early in his career and posted a pretty solid on base percentage of .328 in a tiny sample size of 64 plate appearances.

What can the Angels expect from Meckler?

The Angels are hoping the 25 year old can stay healthy and continue providing good defense while getting on base at a solid clip. He's known to handle fastballs but have difficulty with breaking pitches so that is a concern. His injury history is a concern as well.

However, he is young and carries a slash line of .315/.410/.439 across 1257 minor league plate appearances. Last year he posted a .287/.390/.370 line in AAA Sacramento. The ballpark in Sacramento plays a lot fairer than the launching pads in other Pacific Coast League locales, but the lack of slugging in the PCL is a notable concern.

At this point, the Angels have added an interesting player with the upside to be a regular centerfielder but a higher likelihood to be a depth piece. If he fails to impress in Tempe or if the Angels add a free agent center fielder, Meckler will head to AAA and provide depth.

This is the type of move a team like the Angels should make. The acquisition cost is low, there is upside, and he won't block any prospects or interfere with other roster decisions.


This article first appeared on Los Angeles Angels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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