October 12, 2021. Game 4 of the ALDS between the Astros and White Sox. Jake Meyers leapt at the center field wall in an attempt to rob Gavin Sheets of a solo home run in the bottom half of the second inning. However, he failed to make the catch and, while falling backwards, the center fielder suffered a labral tear in his left shoulder, arguably changing the trajectory of his young career at that time.
To be clear, even amid that 2021 breakout, Meyers’ game as a hitter had holes in it. In those first 163 plate appearances, he recorded a 30.