9. Parker Meadows, OF
Birthday: 11/2/1999 (19)
Acquired: Draft, 2nd, 2018
Level(s): GCL Tigers West, short-season A-ball Connecticut
Statistics: .290/.377/.473, 28 G, 106 PA, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 3 SB, 9.4% BB, 29.2% K
While his older brother Austin Meadows was a much better prospect entering the draft, there was plenty of interest in Parker Meadows had plenty of teams interested, which led to the Detroit Tigers selecting him with the first pick of the 2nd round.
Parker is built differently than his older brother, standing 6’4″ (an inch or more taller than his brother), with very long limbs that can get to be an issue in his swing. His long legs do lead to an incredible ability to cover ground in center field as he glides across center with good instincts, though his first-step quickness with those long legs is not great, so in spite of being a plus runner, he could struggle some with stolen base success as he works up the minor league system.
Meadows was able to hit his entire pro debut, though his long arms can get to be an issue in consistency in his swing at times, which was noted in his near-30% strikeout rate. He does have plus to plus-plus raw power at the plate, and as he smooths his swing out, that should play up more.
A true 5-tool guy, Meadows is raw, so he may still take some time working his way up the minor league system, likely playing in low-A all of 2019, but once he gets it all together, he could fly up the ladder and could be an impact player for the Detroit Tigers.