February 26, 2021 2:33 AM : Meadows reported to spring training having lost 10-15 pounds in his offseason training program and has caught the eye of manager Kevin Cash, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. "I got after it pretty hard this offseason," Meadows said. "Just to kind of go back to that form, back to that feeling that I'm light on my feet and I'm quick. Go out there and show them that I can be quick on my routes, be quick on the bases, and it feels good to kind of get back to that form."
Analysis: The list of misfortunes and maladies was long for Meadows in 2020 -- he battled COVID-19, a strained oblique and a significant lack of timing with his bat, leading to a forgettable .205/.296/.371 line across 152 plate appearances. The sub-standard numbers were in stark contrast to a 2019 campaign during which he'd slugged a career-best 33 home runs. The 25-year-old emphasizes that feeling athletic and light on his feet in the batter's box is instrumental to his success, and Cash notes he's already seen evidence of such in early batting practice sessions in the form of Meadows being able to reach certain pitches with greater ease than when he was slower and heavier last season.