Wade

Meckler

Meckler doubled in the first inning, drew a walk in the third, then drove in the team’s only two runs with a double in the fifth. The 26-year-old outfielder has been outstanding in his short time with the Angels, hitting .323/.364/.581 with two homers and 10 RBI across 33 plate appearances.

Meckler put the Angels on top early, taking Drew Rasmussen deep with the bases loaded in the first inning for a grand slam. He later led off the fourth with a base hit and stole second before scoring on a double. The 26-year-old outfielder has been productive in his short stint with the Angels so far, hitting .308/.333/.538 with two homers, eight RBI, and two steals across 27 plate appearances. While he does have excellent contact skills, there’s not much in the batted ball data that points to any sustainable power potential.

Meckler took Jacob deGrom deep in his first at-bat of 2026. It was his first major league homer, as he went without one in his only previous major league action in 64 plate appearances with the Giants in 2023. Meckler’s EV numbers just don’t bode well for him hitting for much power in the majors, but he has an excellent approach and some sneaky stolen base ability. It probably won’t make him a mixed-league option, but he might be of some use to the Angels in left field.

It’s the first trip to the big leagues for the 26-year-old outfielder since appearing in a handful of games for the Giants in 2023. He has excelled at the minor league level this season, slashing a robust .312/.444/.477 with four homers, 14 RBI and six stolen bases in 136 plate appearances. He’ll start in left field and bat sixth for the Halos on Friday evening against Jacob deGrom and the Rangers.

The Angels thinned out their battle at second base on Saturday morning when they optioned Christian Moore and Kyren Paris to Triple-A Salt Lake and in the evening Nick Madrigal joined them. That leaves just Adam Frazier, Oswald Peraza and Vaughn Grissom remaining to fight it out. Madrigal performed well during the spring, hitting .333 (7-for-21) with three RBI.

The Angels designated Meckler for assignment last week after claiming Kaleb Ort on waivers. Meckler was unclaimed, so he will remain in the Angels’ organization and have a chance for at-bats during the season after he hit .287/.390/.370 in Triple-A last year.

The Angels claimed Kaleb Ort off waivers from the Yankees and needed to free up a 40-man roster spot, so Meckler was the odd man out. The 25-year-old was claimed off waivers from the Giants at the beginning of January after hitting .287/.390/.370 in Triple-A in 2025. He should get a shot to prove himself in spring training somewhere.

Meckler spent most of last season at Triple-A Sacramento, hitting .287/.390/.370. He’s a left-handed hitter who can play all three outfield positions and still has minor league options. That will make him valuable outfield depth for the Angels.

Meckler gets the boot from the 40-man roster after the Giants made the signing of Adrian Houser official. Meckler will hit the waiver wire, and a team looking for outfield depth could make a claim. If not, he likely heads to Triple-A to begin 2026.

It’s possible the Giants will give Meckler a shot at the highest level again with Jerar Encarnacion sidelined until late May following wrist surgery. The 24-year-old is an extremely patient hitters and rarely strikes out. Those contact skills didn’t translate to immediate success in the majors back in 2023, but he’s deserving of another shot soon.