BRADENTON, Fla. — A year ago, Austin Meadows was preparing for what was supposed to be his first full pro season. Then, his left hamstring overextended as he rounded a base, and it popped. Thus began a four-month rehabilitation process, robbing the 19-year-old center fielder of valuable development time.
This spring, Meadows, the Pirates’ No. 3 prospect according to Baseball America, is good to go. The Pirates started him in right field Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. Meadows was born in Atlanta and went to Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga., about 35 miles east of Atlanta.
“It was awesome,” Meadows said. “A great experience. Fortunate that the Pirates let me come out and play, especially a full nine innings.”
In his first at-bat, Meadows crushed a 2-2 pitch off Braves right-hander Shelby Miller to the wall in right for a triple. Braves right fielder Nick Markakis was playing Meadows shallow.
“I crushed it,” Meadows said. “I thought I got all of it.”
Meadows is not competing for a roster spot. He will start the year with Class A Bradenton. The Pirates play talented prospects in major league spring training games for the same reason they bring some prospects who are further along in their development to major league camp — to give them a sample of what they can expect.
“It’s an absolute blast,” general manager Neal Huntington said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for them to come over and just get a very quick taste of what major league spring training is, so, if everything goes as planned, they get over here for the first time, the awe factor is eliminated a little bit and they just come play.”
They’ll do the same thing with their final two exhibition games Friday and Saturday in Philadelphia.
“It gets you out of the warmth, it gets you out of the comfort of spring training, it gets you at a night game, it gets you in front of a large crowd, but also it gives those young players a chance to experience a second deck for, some of them, the first time in their career,” Huntington said.
The Pirates drafted Meadows ninth overall in 2013, and after signing, he hit .316 with a .424 on-base percentage, 7 home runs and 11 doubles in 211 plate appearances with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Pirates and short-season Jamestown. The hamstring injury delayed his 2014 regular-season debut until late June, but in 165 plate appearances at low-Class A West Virginia the rest of the way, he hit .322 with a .388 OBP.
“The more he’s on the field, the better he’s going to get,” Huntington said. “And so we just got to work to keep him on the field. He’s worked hard this offseason, had a freak injury a year ago. Has shown no ill effects whatsoever and looking forward to his growth.”
Meadows is an outfielder in a system whose major league outfield isn’t going anywhere for at least four years, but he has three minor levels to hit before being blocked will be an issue. The Pirates have not issued Meadows any directives for the season, he said, other than to go play and get experience.
“Just take advantage of every opportunity,” Meadows said. “With the hamstring, the hamstring feels really good. It took a couple weeks to get that comfort level in the box as well, but I’m starting to get the hang of things, starting to feel good.”
Watching talented, young players taste success against major league talent brought back memories for manager Clint Hurdle.
“For Meadows to stay on that ball and rifle a ball off a really good major league pitcher, to get a hit up here in spring training, it’s a feel-good for everybody in the organization,” Hurdle said. “All those minor league player development guys that work with these guys, and, obviously, the biggest kick is for the kid.”
Bill Brink: bbrink@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrinkPG.
First Published: April 2, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
