Swing adjustments paying off for healthy Meadows in key Spring Training

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The line drive wasn’t exactly scorched as it headed into center field, an 83.2 mph liner eclipsed by the 86.6 mph velocity on the cutter that Parker Meadows hit. But the way Meadows’ Spring Training started, he’s not going to be picky.

Considering the Tigers had been held scoreless on one hit before Meadows’ two-out, two-run single, they weren’t going to nitpick, either.

Five days earlier, he bolted down the line at 29.3 feet per second to beat out a chopper to second base against the Blue Jays. His best hit of the spring was a double Tuesday to the center-field fence at Fenway South at 102.3 mph, one of three balls he has put in play with triple-digit exit velocities.

“I'm seeing the ball well,” Meadows said after that hit. “I think it's just a few mechanical [adjustments], obviously timing, too. Just making a few tweaks. Now we just continue to build off of that.”

Much like Tuesday’s double, Meadows’ single in Friday night’s matchup against the Pirates came in his final at-bat. Manager A.J. Hinch wanted him to close out his game on a positive note.

The good news for Meadows is that he’s healthy enough to have a Spring Training, something he learned not to take for granted after a nerve issue in his upper right arm sidelined him for virtually the entire spring last year and delayed his debut until June. He had to find his timing at the plate in a two-week Minor League rehab assignment last May rather than a month-long Grapefruit League campaign, and he never quite found the form that made him a feared hitter down the stretch and into the postseason in 2024.

“I think health is a big goal right now for me, and I feel really good,” Meadows said. “As far as that aspect, can't ask for much more than that.”

Still, it’s not easy for Meadows to find solace when he’s trying to find his swing. Hit by hit, the Tigers’ center fielder is working to dig out of the hole he fell into to begin Spring Training, and it has taken a lot of work to get there, including a mid-spring adjustment.

“Just getting kind of into my back hip a little more,” Meadows said earlier this week. “I'm kind of spinning off balls early, and that's mainly timing. Just reminding myself to stay on my back foot and rotate from there.”

It has not been easy.

“He's doing a lot of work,” Hinch said. “He's done a lot of work on the back fields. He's done a lot of work to try to get his timing right. It's good to see him get rewarded. … It's kind of day by day for him, just trying to get good pitches.”

Meadows has been showing good discipline at the plate and making contact. Solid contact, however, has been harder to find.

Friday’s single was the first hit Meadows has recorded on a non-offspeed or breaking pitch. His previous three came on a sweeper, a slider and a changeup. The cutter had been one of the pitches challenging him.

While top prospect Kevin McGonigle pushes for a spot on the Opening Day roster at shortstop, Meadows is the player who could be most impacted. If McGonigle wins the starting job at short, it would likely move Javier Báez to center, at least on a part-time basis. That could leave Meadows and switch-hitting outfielder Wenceel Pérez -- who had his own slow start to the spring but is hitting his way out of it -- battling for one roster spot.

“It's all adversity,” Meadows said. “That's kind of what we sign up for playing this game. With me, it's just come in every day like a new day, and just continue to grind to get to work with [hitting coach Michael] Brdar and our hitting guys and continue to build off of stuff. I'm excited for the rest of the spring and looking forward to playing hard.”