Getting to Know Astros OF Brandon Meredith

Since he was drafted by Houston in the 6th round in 2011, Brandon Meredith has traditionally been a slow starter. That is decidedly not the case in 2015. Through the first 19 games of the season for the Corpus Christi Hooks, Meredith is hitting .324/.407/.521 with three doubles, one triple and three home runs. He has drawn nine walks while striking out 13 times.

Brandon Meredith - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I spoke with Hooks Hitting Coach Dan Radison about Meredith's hot start. According to Radison, "I think his preparation has more clarity to it. He knows how he's going to attack the baseball. We've definitely helped his direction by getting his extension out through the middle of the field and he's hitting the ball better in the air than he has in the past." Radison also noted that Meredith has started using his lower half more effectively to complement his strong upper body.

Manager Rodney Linares also weighed in, telling me that Brandon is maturing as a player and has taken advantage of an opportunity as some of the other players started out more slowly. Linares went on to say, "Nothing to not like about Meredith. He plays the game the right way. He's fun to watch. He's fun to be around. He keeps the guys loose. He's one of the guys that does a lot of good things not only on the field but off the field." The one thing he's trying to change about Meredith is to get him to slow down his home run trot which is more of a home run sprint. And that's probably one of the better problems to have with a player.

Meredith and I spoke briefly about his fast start, playing right field, the talented Corpus Christi team and his not-so-secret passion.

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