Chicago White Sox Rookie Chase Meidroth Just Keeps Getting On Base

Rookie Chase Meidroth has become an ideal leadoff hitter for the White Sox.

With another hit in Wednesday's 9-4 win over the Mets, he's reached safely in 15 straight games. That's the longest on-base streak by a White Sox rookie since Yoán Moncada's 17-game run in 2017. During that stretch, Meidroth is 21-for-62 (.338) with eight runs, four doubles, one home run, three RBIs, seven walks, six strikeouts and five stolen bases.

His plate discipline makes him a clear choice for the top spot in the batting order, but he'd have the same mentality in any spot.

"I’m just trying to win each pitch," Meidroth said. "You know, it doesn’t matter where I hit in the lineup. It’s the same approach each time. Trying to get on first base for the next guy."

Among American League rookies with at least 90 plate appearances, Meidroth entered Wednesday's game ranked second with a .292 batting average, a .380 on-base percentage and eight steals. A few more statistics speak to Meidroth's rare plate discipline.

In all of MLB, he's in the 93rd percentile with an 11.9% strikeout rate, 95th percentile with an 18.2% chase rate and the 99th percentile with a 10.4% whiff rate. His 11.2% walk rate and .269 expected batting average are above league average, too. Add his three outs above average at shortstop, 91st percentile, and he's been an all-round player in his first 33 big league games.

"We can talk about Chase all day. Such a mature approach when he goes in there," White Sox director of hitting Ryan Fuller said. "Unbelievable at-bats, and that's something that's been innate with him. That's high contact, incredible swing decisions, control the strike zone, low chase, low K, high walk, being able to get on base. And that's one of the skills for young guys you see across the board in the major leagues when they come up, your ability when you're not getting hits to still get that 90 feet and get on first base."

"And his ability to get on base, on-base percentage, that's going to buoy you when you're going through the times when your swing is maybe not feeling great, but still be able to impact the game, make the pitcher throw a lot of pitches, be a really tough at-bat, use the whole field, hit line drives all over. It's a really special profile."