Quick: guess who the Chicago White Sox's leader in fWAR is as of June 11. If you said starting pitcher Shane Smith, you probably just went to FanGraphs and looked that up.
However, it's their best position player that is of interest to Red Sox fans, mostly because he was a sort of throw-in piece in the Garrett Crochet blockbuster.
Sure, the acquisition of catcher Kyle Teel will prove to be a boon for the White Sox in due time, as he looks like the real deal as the team's catcher of the future. For now, though, the South Siders are reaping the benefits of Chase Meidroth's emergence in his rookie season.
At 1.4 fWAR, Meidroth is one of only two position players for the White Sox that has eclipsed the 1.0 mark (third baseman Miguel Vargas being the other).
Former Red Sox prospect Chase Meidroth starring for White Sox following Garrett Crochet trade
In his first 180 plate appearances at the MLB level, the shortstop is slashing .293/.383/.363, good for a 119 wRC+. He's working equal walk and strikeout rates (12.8%) and has stolen eight bases already. For good measure, he's also been a sterling defender at both middle infield positions, racking up five outs above average (OAA) in 361 defensive innings.
In effect, Meidroth has become the exact player the White Sox were hoping former top prospect Nick Madrigal would be: a high-contact, high-floor hitter with positional versatility and speed. Considering the industry-wide appeal of Teel and Braden Montgomery, Meidroth was arguably the lowest-profile player the Red Sox surrendered in the Crochet trade, depending on your view of Wikelman Gonzalez.
WE LOVE HOME RUNS ‼️ pic.twitter.com/18hDDPzl25
— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) June 7, 2025
Of course, Meidroth isn't the all-around talent Teel or Montgomery are, but he is really, really good at one thing: getting on base. If this were the early 2000s, he would be Billy Beane's favorite player in the league.
In 1,187 minor league plate appearances in his career prior to his MLB debut, he slashed .285/.425/.414 batting line and 136 wRC+. Yes, like his MLB stat line, his OBP is higher than his slugging percentage. That's just part of Meidroth's game, which features an incredible amount of patience at the plate. In fact, his walk rate (17.4%) is higher than his strikeout rate (15.6%) in the minor leagues.
Now, none of this is to say the Red Sox should be regretting their decision to trade for, and subsequently extend, Crochet. The southpaw has pitched like the AL Cy Young frontrunner through the middle of June, with a 2.35 ERA (2.68 FIP) and 110 strikeouts in 88.0 innings. Both of those latter figures currently lead the American League.
Meidroth's success is just a reminder that both sides can win a trade, including blockbusters. The Red Sox were smart to deal him — their infield logjam is already an issue without him on the roster — and the White Sox were smart to acquire him.
And, if you ever find yourself staring at Meidroth's unusual stat lines and missing his presence in the organization, just be sure to check the schedule for when Crochet is scheduled to pitch next.