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Tigers outfielder Austin Meadows had a irritating season in 2022, lacking time on account of vertigo-like signs, COVID-19, strains in every of his Achilles tendons and psychological well being struggles that he was open about. He was solely in a position to get into 36 video games and had diminished outcomes when on the sphere. Nonetheless, he lately spoke with Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press and appears to be in place for 2023.
“I’m proper the place I need to be mentally, and I’m proper the place I need to be bodily,” Meadows says. “This offseason has been wonderful with having our daughter (Adelynne), being in a a lot better place mentally and being in a a lot better bodily form. The whole lot is beginning to go in the correct path.”
Meadows supplies specifics of how he bought into a greater place along with his nervousness by getting a remedy group in place, and likewise along with his physique, dropping round 20 kilos this offseason. “For me, I didn’t play, so I gained weight in the direction of the top of the season final yr. To have the ability to lose fats and achieve muscle however nonetheless drop pounds is at all times a problem, however I simply bought after it, put my head down and tried to place myself in the perfect spot I might be. That 225-230 is the place I really feel my finest, and I’m able to roll.”
The truth that Meadows has bought himself into a greater place each mentally and bodily is definitely nice information to Tigers followers, each for Meadows as a human being and for the fortunes of the baseball group. In his transient time with the membership final yr, he hit .250/.347/.328 and not using a single dwelling run in 147 plate appearances. His sturdy on-base proportion helped him nudge over the league common mark, as his wRC+ final yr was 101. However that’s a noticeable drop from his 2019 peak, when he hit 33 homers and slashed .291/.364/.588 for a wRC+ of 144.
Varied Detroit gamers struggled via accidents or swoons in efficiency in 2022 and the membership suffered enormously. Although some predicted the Tigers to emerge from their rebuild with a younger core and snag a postseason spot, they ended up falling down the standings and ending 66-96.
Meadows will probably be amongst a bunch of gamers in search of a rebound in 2023 to assist the membership get again on monitor. Regardless of the down yr, Meadows has a robust sufficient monitor document that he’ll get loads of alternative in an unsettled outfield mix the place he and Riley Greene must be the 2 locks for normal enjoying time, with Akil Baddoo, Matt Carpenter, Matt Vierling and others battling for roles as effectively.
With Meadows seeming to be in place throughout, it’s doable he can get again to being his outdated self, which will probably be good for him and the Tigers.
“I do, I actually do,” Meadows mentioned, when requested if he thought he might get again to being an All-Star caliber participant. “If I proceed to care for myself on and off the sphere and keep wholesome, I believe good issues will occur.”
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