Washington Nationals' Breakout Rookie To Be Utilityman in 2023

After spending eleven years in the minors, 2022 was finally the big breakout campaign for 30-year-old Washington Nationals first baseman Joey Meneses.

This season, he'll be used in a "utility role" as announced to the media by manager Dave Martinez, but his playing time will be robust.

Dave Martinez says the plan is still to get Joey Meneses everyday at-bats. To do so, Martinez expects him to play some first, some left and then DH, too. Martinez called this "a lot of a little bit of everywhere."
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) February 20, 2023

Martinez said that Meneses will play "a lot of a little bit of everywhere." The only positions he's played in the minors and in his half-season in the majors is first base and right field. It's unknown if he'll try to squeeze him in anywhere else. Martinez mentioned first base, left field and DH for now.

Meneses was one of the feel-good stories of last season, finally breaking through to the majors after toiling away in the minor leagues for a decade. He put up some solid numbers at Triple-A the past few seasons, with a .295 average and an .840 OPS, leading to his long-awaited call-up to The Show in '22.

In 240 plate appearances, he made the most of his big league debut, hitting .324 with 13 homers and 34 RBIs in just 56 games, with a .930 OPS.

Joey Meneses' was SCORCHING hot to finish his rookie season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/U14YrW0P73
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 18, 2023

At .563, his slugging percentage for the last two months of the season was the third best in all of baseball. His OPS+ of 165 made him 65% better than the average hitter.

Photo: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports