Padres News: Down On The Farm-Second Base

Mandatory Credit: MiLB.com

#5

Josh Van Meter

Bats/Throws: L/R

Height/Weight: 5′ 11″ 165 lbs

Age: 20

This blooming young second baseman was a 5th round pick in the 2013 MLB draft. Van Meter is from Norwell High School in Indiana and owns a .261 career minor league average with 644 minor league at-bats. His 24 doubles led the Fort Wayne TinCaps last year.

Although he only hit 3 home runs in 644 at-bats so far in his minor league tenure, the 24 doubles last year show that the power potential is there. Players at that age, especially middle infielders, seldom show any power. So in time, it should come.

He split time between shortstop and second base last season and is reportedly an above average defender at both positions. 59 games played at second base and 59 games at shortstop show that Van Meter is more than a just fill-in at shortstop. The versatility is a very good sign to his flexibility.

Van Meter has shown some speed with 18 stolen base in his 160 career games. Although he has been nabbed 8 times while attempting to steal. Being that he is young, the stolen bases are really no surprise. Nothing exceptional here, but it is nice to see he isn’t an anchor on the base paths.

All and all, Van Meter is 2-3 seasons away from even beginning to be in the Padres immediate plans. He has very good tools, but still needs more time to develop them in order to prove his worth in the Major Leagues. Keep an eye on him, the versatility is key to him contributing sooner rather than later.