Can Jake Meyers Make His Way Back to the Astros this Season?

Despite initially struggling to replicate his rookie season success, Jake Meyers is hitting well again after a demotion to Triple-A.

Jake Meyers was never a top prospect. He was selected in the 13th round of the 2017 draft. Two years later, in his first taste of Double-A baseball, he hit just .214 with a .570 OPS in 24 games. Then, he sat out the 2020 season, as did most minor leaguers. 

Unsurprisingly, he didn't garner all that much attention heading into 2021. He was, however, promoted to Triple-A ahead of the year, and he thrived as a member of the Sugar Land Skeeters. He played so well, in fact, that he was called up to the Houston Astros in August, and he remained with the big league team into the postseason.

In 49 MLB games, he hit .260 with a .761 OPS. For a center fielder with elite speed and top notch defense, those are more than serviceable numbers. He would almost certainly have earned the 2022 Opening Day center field job for the Astros had a torn labrum not kept him out until mid-June.

Unfortunately, upon his return, Meyers wasn't the same hitter he was in 2021. In 47 games, he batted .209 with a .557 OPS. He hit just one home run. Even for a strong defensive center fielder, that level of production wasn't going to cut it.

Manager Dusty Baker gave Meyers every chance to return to form and reclaim his job as Houston's center fielder of the future, but it just wasn't working. At the end of August, Meyers was sent back down to Sugar Land. In his stead, Chas McCormick has been the starting center fielder, with Mauricio Dubón snagging time out there as well.

Since returning to the familiar confines of Constellation Field, Meyers has had much more success. In nine games, he is hitting .268/.362/.439 with a .801 OPS. Those numbers represent a huge improvement over what Meyers was producing in the majors. 

So, now that his bat is picking up speed, could Meyers find his way back to the big league roster any time soon?

McCormick has been struggling at the plate lately. Dubón has been struggling at the plate all season. Neither has been much better than Meyers was before his demotion. 

That being said, McCormick still has solid offensive numbers for the season, and the Astros are surely hoping he will break out of his slump soon. At the very least, he has earned the chance to try. If Meyers does make it back to the show, he will be taking most of his at-bats away from Dubón, not McCormick – at least at first.

If Meyers can hit even a little bit at the MLB level – and his recent performance with the Space Cowboys is a good sign – then he is a better option than Dubón. If McCormick continues to slump, Meyers could outhit him too. Thus, if Houston is looking to field their best possible team over the final weeks of the season, a Meyers call-up makes a good deal of sense. 

However, the Astros might instead prefer to leave Meyers in Triple-A for now, where he is guaranteed everyday playing time. Still just 26 years old, Meyers has real big league potential, and his longterm future is what's most important. After all, the Astros have the AL West all but wrapped up, and it's almost certain they'll finish with the best record in the American League, too. 

With Meyers' best interests in mind, it might make more sense to wait and call him up once the Triple-A season ends on Sept. 28. Until then, Houston can get by with McCormick and Dubón. 

And if Meyers hits so well with the Space Cowboys that he forces his way back sooner? That would be fantastic. With the way he's playing lately, it's certainly a possibility. But there is no need to rush him. He will be back eventually, and the Astros can afford to wait until he's really, truly ready.

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