Anaheim native Wade Meckler dominated in his Angels debut, hitting a first-pitch, three-run homer off Jacob deGrom in his first at-bat and making a sensational catch in foul territory in the first inning, helping his hometown team beat the Rangers 9-6 on Friday night at Angel Stadium.
Meckler attended Esperanza High in Anaheim and grew up an Angels fan. After he was called up from double-A Rocket City on Friday, Meckler enjoyed a two-for-three night.
The Angels enjoyed their highest-scoring game since April 26, when they scored nine in extras against the Royals.
In sending the 97-mph four-seam fastball from deGrom, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, 403 feet to right center, Meckler became the first Angels player to homer in his first at-bat with the team since Mike Napoli did against the Tigers in 2006.
Meckler was also the first player to hit a homer in their Angels debut since Randal Grichuk did in 2023 against the Braves.
The 26-year-old shared pregame that he grew up rooting for classic Angels names such as Chone Figgins, Torii Hunter and Erick Aybar during the mid-to-late 2000s.
But there was another Angels player Meckler idolized growing up: his new teammate, Mike Trout; having the opportunity to play alongside the three-time AL MVP and 11-time MLB All-Star — was a surreal experience for Meckler.
Originally the Giants’ choice with the 256th pick in the 2022 MLB draft, Meckler has struggled to find his footing in the majors. However, the night couldn’t have gone better for him.
Suzuki and the middling Angels, at least, hope Meckler could stay hot forever. He earned a shot with the big-league club after hitting .343 with 34 hits and 13 RBI through 27 games with Rocket City.
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