Jake Meyers Bio
Jacob Berkshire Meyers is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Meyers played college baseball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers before being selected by the Astros in the 13th round of the 2017 MLB draft. He made his major league debut in 2021 and was a member of the Astros team that won the 2022 World Series.
Early Life and Background
Jacob Berkshire Meyers was born to Paul and Laurie Meyers on June 18, 1996, in Omaha, Nebraska. He has one sister, Lauren. His father, Paul, was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round of the 1986 draft and spent several seasons in Minor League Baseball without reaching the majors, giving Jake a direct connection to the game from a young age.
Meyers attended Westside High School in Omaha, where he played both baseball and basketball. The Westside baseball team won the Class A state championship during his junior and senior seasons, and the basketball team finished as state runner-up during his senior year. As a senior, he was named captain of the Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska baseball team and the Lincoln Journal Star Super State baseball team after posting a 9–0 record with a 0.97 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 58 innings on the mound, while also batting .440 with 51 runs scored and 23 RBIs.
Path to Baseball
After high school, Meyers attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he studied business administration and played college baseball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers as both a pitcher and an outfielder. His father, Paul, had also attended Nebraska, where he was an All-American centerfielder in 1986, continuing the family connection to the program. Meyers went 3–1 with a 2.38 ERA as a freshman pitcher and was named third team All-Big Ten Conference as a sophomore, leading the team with a .326 batting average and a 1.42 ERA.
As a junior, Meyers earned first team All-Big Ten honors and third team All-American recognition from Baseball America and the NCBWA after hitting .297 with 16 RBIs, 52 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases, while also going 8–2 with a 3.42 ERA on the mound. That performance drew the attention of MLB scouts and led to his selection by the Houston Astros in the 13th round of the 2017 draft, launching his professional career.
Jake Meyers Career
Early Career (2017–2020)
After signing with the Astros, Meyers was assigned to the Tri-City ValleyCats and then opened 2018 with the Class A Quad Cities River Bandits before being promoted to the Buies Creek Astros of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League. He returned to the Carolina League in 2019 with the renamed Fayetteville Woodpeckers, where he batted .258 with eight home runs and 41 RBIs and was named a Mid-Season All-Star before a promotion to the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks.
Meyers was a non-roster invitee to Astros spring training in 2020, but the minor league season was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He continued to develop within the Astros system, refining his switch-hitting approach and outfield defense, and was positioned for a major league opportunity as the 2021 season approached.
Major League Debut (2021)
Meyers opened the 2021 season with the Sugar Land Skeeters before being promoted to the Astros on July 31, 2021, after the trade of Myles Straw to the Cleveland Indians. He made his MLB debut on August 1 as a pinch hitter in a 5–3 loss to the San Francisco Giants. On August 14, he hit his first career home run against the Los Angeles Angels’ Jaime Barría and added a grand slam later in the same 8–2 win, immediately signaling his offensive potential.
In 49 games during his rookie season, Meyers batted .260 with six home runs and 28 RBIs while appearing primarily in center field. His defensive work was credited with plus-four Defensive Runs Saved, but his season ended early when he tore the labrum in his left shoulder while attempting to catch a home run ball in Game 4 of the ALDS. He underwent surgery in November 2021 to repair the injury.
Return and World Series Champion (2022)
Meyers returned from the 60-day injured list on June 24, 2022, and quickly contributed at the plate, hitting a three-run home run against Michael Lorenzen on July 1 to help spark a 5–1 win over the Los Angeles Angels. He played 52 regular-season games, batting .227 with one home run, 15 RBIs, and two stolen bases while handling center field duties, ranking fourth among American League center fielders in total zone runs.
One of his most memorable moments came in Game 1 of the 2022 ALDS against the Seattle Mariners, when he appeared as a pinch runner in the ninth inning and scored the lead run on a Yordan Alvarez three-run walk-off home run in an 8–7 victory. It was the first walk-off home run in MLB postseason history with the home team down to its final out in the ninth and trailing by more than one run. Meyers was a member of the Astros team that won the 2022 World Series championship.
Establishing the Everyday Role (2023–2024)
In 2023, Meyers strung together a nine-plate-appearance on-base streak and made a running catch at American Family Field that won the MLB Play of the Week Award. He later collected his first career four-hit game at the Toronto Blue Jays on June 5 and homered twice while driving in a career-high six runs in a 9–7 win over the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 6.
During 2024, Meyers appeared in a career-high 148 games, batting .219 with 20 doubles, 13 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases over 513 plate appearances. He ranked fifth in the American League in total zone runs (15) and led his position in fielding percentage at .997, cementing his role as a reliable everyday center fielder.
Houston Astros Era (2025–Present)
On January 9, 2025, the Astros signed Meyers to a $2.3 million contract, avoiding arbitration. He continued to serve as a primary outfielder for the club, providing steady defense in center field and contributing at the plate against both left-handed and right-handed pitching.
On May 3, 2025, Meyers became the first Astro player to hit two home runs, one triple, and one double in a single game, doing so against the Chicago White Sox in an 8–3 win. He tied a club record with 13 total bases and set a new career high with seven RBIs in that contest, underlining his growing offensive impact.
Driving Style and Strengths
Meyers bats right-handed and throws left-handed, an unusual combination he shared with teammate Chas McCormick in 2023. His game is built on strong defensive instincts in center field, sound contact hitting, and the ability to contribute in the power and running games, giving the Astros a versatile everyday presence in the outfield.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the signature moments of Meyers’ career are his first career home run and grand slam on August 14, 2021, the dramatic Game 1 walk-off run in the 2022 ALDS, his MLB Play of the Week-winning catch at American Family Field in 2023, and his record-tying 13-total-base performance against the Chicago White Sox in 2025.
Jake Meyers Career Highlights
MLB Highlights
Meyers has been a steady contributor for the Houston Astros since his 2021 debut, with verified regular-season appearances of 49 games (2021), 52 games (2022), and a career-high 148 games in 2024. His first major league home run came against the Los Angeles Angels on August 14, 2021, and his first career four-hit game came at the Toronto Blue Jays on June 5, 2023. He is a 2022 World Series champion with the Astros.
Minor League and Amateur Achievements
Before reaching the majors, Meyers was a Mid-Season All-Star in the Carolina League in 2019 with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, batting .258 with eight home runs and 41 RBIs. At Westside High School, he was part of two Class A state championship teams and earned All-Nebraska honors as a senior, while at Nebraska he was a first team All-Big Ten and third team All-American selection.
Jake Meyers Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Meyers was born to Paul and Laurie Meyers and has one sister, Lauren. His father, Paul, was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round of the 1986 draft and spent multiple seasons in Minor League Baseball, providing Jake with a direct baseball lineage. Paul later attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he was an All-American centerfielder in 1986, the same school where Jake would later star for the Cornhuskers.
Personal Life
Meyers married Maddie Lammel, a second-grade teacher, in December 2021. The couple’s daughter, Ava, was born in December 2022, and the family is based in the Houston area during the baseball season.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season began with Meyers and the Astros agreeing on a $2.3 million contract in January, avoiding arbitration and locking in his role as a primary outfielder. Early in the year he continued to provide dependable defense in center field, ranking among the team’s everyday players and giving the Astros flexibility across the outfield.
His biggest highlight came on May 3, 2025, when he became the first Astro player to record two home runs, one triple, and one double in a single game, tying a club record with 13 total bases and setting a new career high with seven RBIs in an 8–3 win over the Chicago White Sox. That performance marked a clear offensive step forward and underlined his growing importance to the lineup.
With his contract set for 2025 and his role in center field firmly established, Meyers entered the middle of the season as a key everyday piece for the Astros. His combination of switch-hitting contact, defensive reliability, and emerging power made him a central figure in Houston’s 2025 campaign.