White Sox rookie Chase Meidroth makes a case for 2025 All-Star Game by doing things even Frank Thomas didn't do

Chicago White Sox rookie shortstop Chase Meidroth is quickly becoming a fan favorite on the South Side and making a case to be selected for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.

Meidroth plays an electrifying style of baseball. He always puts together good at-bats and doesn't expand his strike zone. He runs well, plays good defense, and possesses bat-to-ball skills that wears down opposing pitchers until they make a mistake.

Over his last 20 games, Meidroth is batting .373. That stretch has raised his season numbers and put him firmly in the conversation to make the American League All-Star Game roster if he keeps it up.

He has also made franchise history during that run. Meidroth is doing things on his current hot streak that even Frank Thomas didn't do at his age.

Chase Meidroth and Frank Thomas

In the bottom of the seventh inning of Thursday's game against the Detroit Tigers, the White Sox TV broadcast showed off a jaw-dropping Chase Meidroth stat.

Meidroth had started the game 1-for-1 with two walks. He stepped up to the plate having reached base safely in eight of his last nine plate appearances. He became the youngest player in franchise history to do that since Frank Thomas back in 1990.

But Meidroth went a step further, recording another hit and walk in his next two plate appearances to finish out the ballgame. He has now reached safely in 10 of his last 11 plate appearances. Even The Big Hurt didn't do that when he was 23 years old.

Meidroth's All-Star case

It has been the assumption for a while now that starting pitcher Shane Smith would be the White Sox lone representative in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game. I still think that's the most likely outcome, but Meidroth has certainly entered the conversation where I no longer think it's impossible for the Sox to have two players in the Midsummer Classic.

With a 1.4 fWAR, Meidroth is 30th among AL position players. He has fewer at-bats than 28 of the 29 players ahead of him, though.

Meidroth is 5th among AL shortstops in fWAR and 2nd among AL second baseman. He is also 4th among rookies across all of baseball. He's a natural second baseman that has played most of his innings at shortstop this season, but I think Meidroth deserves consideration to be a reserve middle infielder.

We have every reason to believe Meidroth is going to continue producing and he's only going to climb those fWAR leaderboards even more.

Meidroth is Top 30 in walk rate across all of Major League Baseball. He is Top 10 in strikeout rate. He is one of nine players in the sport with an on-base percentage over .400.

When opposing pitchers think about playing the Chicago White Sox in 2025, they think about how they're going to deal with Chase Meidroth and how they're going to get him out.

That's what being an All-Star is about - commanding the attention of everyone in the ballpark every time you step on the field.