Joey Meneses Ramirez is a Mexican professional baseball first baseman and outfielder who currently plays for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. Meneses began his professional baseball career with the Atlanta Braves in 2011 and played in their farm teams until 2017. He then joined the Philadelphia Phillies and won the 2018 International League MVP award while playing for their Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
After his successful season with the Phillies, Meneses signed a contract with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan in 2019. However, his time with the team was cut short due to a suspension for testing positive for a banned substance. Meneses subsequently signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox in 2020, but his 2020 minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He played for Tomateros de Culiacán of the Mexican Pacific League during the offseason.
Joey Meneses began the 2021 season with the Portland Sea Dogs of Double-A Northeast and was promoted to the Worcester Red Sox of Triple-A East in August. He became a free agent after the season and signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals in January 2022. Meneses made his major league debut in August 2022 and hit a home run in his first game.
Joey Meneses has also represented Mexico in several international baseball competitions, including the Caribbean Series and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He is known for his admiration of Goku, a character from the Japanese anime series Dragon Ball.
Meneses’ career stats reflect his impressive abilities as a hitter. He has a career batting average of .293 in the minor leagues and has hit 109 home runs with 461 RBIs. In 2018, he hit .311 with 23 home runs and 82 RBIs, earning him the International League MVP award.
Despite his suspension for using a banned substance, Meneses has persevered and continues to work hard to improve his game. He has shown that he has the potential to be a valuable player in the majors, as evidenced by his strong debut with the Nationals. With his talent and dedication to the sport, it’s clear that Meneses has a bright future in baseball.