Wade Meckler has flown under the radar before.
His rise from undersized, unrecruited walk-on at Oregon State to mid-round pick in 2022 and unexpected Major League rookie in 2023 carried a certain symmetry.
Meckler became just the fourth member of that draft class to reach the Majors, spending 20 games with the Giants late in the 2023 season.
Then, just as quickly as he had carved out a place in Gabe Kapler’s everyday lineup, he was gone. Meckler hasn’t recorded an at-bat with San Francisco since, and the club is now on its second different manager since his debut.
The Giants must improve their outfield in 2026, with big-ticket free agent signings a possibility in free agency.
That reality makes Meckler’s path back to San Francisco complicated. But his original journey there was unconventional – so can he once again force his way into the conversation?
Much of that depends on whether Meckler – the Giants’ No. 29 prospect (per MLB Pipeline), and a gifted on-base threat – can hit the way he did in his first year in the Minors.
Prospect Background: Wade Meckler (OF)
Age: 25 | Height: 5-10 | Weight: 190 | Bats: Left | Throws: Right | Born: Anaheim, CA
It took all of 92 games for Meckler to rise from an eighth-round pick in 2022 to a San Francisco Giant by August 2023.
His improbable rise was powered by a prolific hit tool. By the time of his MLB debut, Meckler led all qualified Minor Leaguers at full-season affiliates with a .379 average and .463 on-base percentage across three levels.
Before that breakout first year in the Minors, Meckler had already built a reputation for hitting at Oregon State. A former unrecruited walk-on, he was once told by head coach Mitch Canham to consider transferring – encouragement to find playing time rather than continue to sit on the Beavers’ bench.
Meckler didn’t listen. Instead, he reinvented his game entirely and turned himself into one of the most productive bats in the Pac-12, slashing .347/.456/.478 in his senior season.
That transformation carried straight into his first year as a pro, where Meckler hit everywhere he went. After only 10 games in Triple-A, he was in the Majors by August.
Wade Meckler, you’ve got yourself a big league knock 👏 pic.twitter.com/dkFcAVv9WJ
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) August 16, 2023
At the time, Kapler described his Minor League production as “video game numbers,” and – stop if this sounds familiar – with the Giants searching for a spark to a slumping offense, the promotion made sense.
The sample size was small, just 56 at-bats, but Meckler couldn’t sustain the torrid pace he’d set in the Minors, slashing .232/.328/.250 with one extra-base hit and a 39 percent strikeout rate.
So the Giants sent him back to Triple-A Sacramento and recalled another prospect, Luis Matos, who had previously been optioned for Meckler’s debut. It looked like the see-saw might continue until one of them produced enough to stick.
Except it hasn’t. Meckler hasn’t returned to the Majors since – slowed briefly by a broken hand in 2024 and never rising above Triple-A in 2025.
Meckler’s 2025 Season
Meckler entered Spring Training in 2025 competing for a spot on the Giants’ Opening Day roster, eager to regain the form that made him such a fast riser two years earlier.
After returning from injury in 2024, Meckler took an impressive step forward with his power, posting a career-best nine home runs – including four in September with Sacramento.
Had the power shown up again in the Cactus League, Meckler’s on-base ability might have given him a real chance to break camp as a backup outfielder.
Meckler’s spring began in familiar fashion. He hit .278 with a .417 on-base percentage, showing the same strike-zone feel that carried him through the Minors, even if the power didn’t show up early. But heading into a March 9 split-squad game against the Cubs, his momentum came to a halt when he injured his neck on a diving attempt in left field.
He returned shortly after, but the production didn’t follow. Meckler went just 2-for-11 over his final eight Cactus League games and opened the season back in Triple-A Sacramento.
His season opened impressively – going 3-for-5 across his first two games – but was back on the injured list soon after, out until early June.
After struggling initially in his return, Meckler closed the season looking more like himself and hit .301 from August 1 onward. He posted a .390 on-base percentage across 87 games, though the power he flashed in 2024 didn’t return, ending the year with only one home run.
Meckler’s MLB Pipeline Report
MLB Pipeline has the following grades for Meckler:
Hit: 55 | Power: 35 | Run: 65 | Arm: 45 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40
The scouting report highlights Meckler’s “controlled, left-handed stroke” which leads to Meckler’s success against fastballs.
As MLB Pipeline notes, “He’s much more effective against fastballs, making contact on 92 percent of swings compared to just 68 percent against all other pitches last season.”
When Meckler was ahead in the count in 2025 – and generally seeing more fastballs – he hit .341. When he was behind, and pitchers could lean on offspeed, he hit just .169.
The split underscores a simple reality: Meckler’s success hinges on getting into advantage counts, where his bat-to-ball ability plays at its best.
What about his speed, the best-graded attribute?
His scouting report had this to say: “Though Meckler has well-above-average speed, he’s not a prolific basestealer or a dazzling defender.”
Despite posting the Giants’ top sprint speed in the 2025 Cactus League, Meckler has never been a prolific base stealer, totaling just 35 steals across 303 career professional games.
If a return to the Majors is in the cards, Meckler will have to augment his best tools by rediscovering his gains in power and finally translating his speed into stolen-base production.
At 25 years old, time is working against him.
Development Track
Competition for a spot in the Giants’ lineup exists both internally and through any additions the front office makes this offseason.
Meckler did get some reps at second base during the 2025 season, and a little more defensive versatility could make him a more appealing backup option. And while injuries have worked against him in recent years, they could just as easily work in his favor in 2026 – opening the door for another chance in San Francisco.
He remains on the 40-man roster, so the Giants can call on him whenever they choose. His meteoric rise will be nearly three years behind him, but if the tools and the bat sync up again, there’s still a chance he carves out a role in San Francisco.
Before The Bay is a series profiling the Giants’ Top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB Pipeline, as they develop in the organization.
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