May 4, 2018: The Phillies signed free agent Curtis Mead, out of Australia, via scouts Howard Norsetter, Roberto Aquino and Derrick Chung.

Growing up in Australia, Mead seemed destined to be an Australian rules football player. Mead’s father Tim had played in the Australian Baseball League, but according to Australia’s ABC News, Tim believed Curtis had a more promising football career ahead of him. The younger Mead decided to focus on baseball and quickly earned a spot on the Australian junior national team.

Curtis signed with the Phillies but was quickly traded to the Rays after the 2019 season.

2019 season: Mead is very raw, but he performed very well in his 2019 season with the GCL Phillies (R). He hit .285/.351/.462 and put up a 132 wRC+ with 4 homers and 4 stolen bases. He struck out 13.1% of the time while walking 7.4% of the time.

Mead split time defensively between second base, shortstop, and third base. Third base is his ideal position, and he might hit enough to play there. Mead’s hit tool is plus, and the 6’ 2” frame projects to add strength down the line.

Mead should see a more aggressive assignment to Bowling Green (A) after a strong showing in Australia this winter, where pitching is more akin to A-ball, but could be assigned to a rookie league. Talent evaluates we have spoken to believe he would have been a 3rd-5th round draft pick had he attended an American high school.

2021 Season: There are some folks with the Rays who are as excited about the 20-year-old Mead as anyone in their system. Originally signed by the Phillies out of Australia, Mead spent two seasons in Philadelphia’s system before coming to Tampa Bay in exchange for lefty reliever Cristopher Sánchez in a November 2019 trade.

All he did in his organizational debut this season was slash .321/.378/.533 with 15 homers, 38 doubles, 34 walks and only 71 strikeouts in 458 plate appearances between Charleston, Bowling Green and, for four impressive games, Durham. The Rays’ No. 14 prospect is more of a corner bat than anything, but it’s easy to see the upside in a performer like that who will be 21 all of next season.  (Adam Berry - Oct. 18, 2021)

2021 AFL - 18 game hitting streak. 

“Did Mead keep it going?” was a question asked often down the stretch. The Scottsdale infielder picked up at least one knock in each of his first 18 games, a stretch running from Oct. 13 to Nov. 12. That hitting streak is tied for third-longest in the AFL since 2005. Mead finished with a .313/.360/.530 line in 20 games, giving his soaring stock another boost before the year is up.

 A CONVERSATION WITH MEAD

David Laurila: You were signed out of Australia by the Phillies. How did that come about?

Curtis Mead: “I’d just turned 17 and was a development player for our local team in Australia. The team wasn’t going very well, and our second baseman was struggling. He was an older guy, 26, and I was a young guy doing all the right things; I was getting there early and putting in the hard work, so with the team having such a bad first half, our coach made the decision to play some of the younger guys. I ended up playing the back 20 of a 40-game season and hit .373.

“After the season, I played in the Under-18 National Tournament, which is held in Sydney. Everyone comes in from all the [Australian] States, and I carried that form over from the ABL; I ended up winning the MVP of that tournament. That kind of got me noticed. I’d say anywhere from five to 10 scouts spoke to my parents after the tournament. That made me realize, ‘Holy crap, this is something I could do.’

“In April — in our offseason — Team Australia CEO Glenn Williams created a baseball team of 16-to-18-year-olds to go to Arizona. The trip was kind of to show you the college experience; we walked around college campuses; we trained on college fields. We also got the opportunity to play extended teams in the minors, so we got a lot of exposure to both college scouts and professional scouts. I was able to showcase my skills, and got really close with probably two or three teams. I ended up signing with the Phillies in May of 2018, at 17 years old.”

Laurila: Which other teams did you come close the signing with?

Mead: "The Yankees and the Oakland A’s, along with the Phillies, were probably closest at the end. The Reds, as well.”

Laurila: What was it like going from the ABL to the Gulf Coast League?

Mead: “I was still in high school at that time, but I had a three-week break, so the Phillies said, ‘Hey, come over in 2018 and get your feet wet, kind of experience what it’s like.’ So I went over there, and it was around the time that the new draft picks came in. We had guys like Alec Bohm, and a few older, bigger dudes, as well as the Latin guys. It was kind of, ‘Holy crap,’ like this is where I need to be.

“It was definitely a cultural experience, having my first taste of learning Spanish and stuff like that. So it was really cool. Then I went back later in the year for Instructional League. In 2019, I went to my first spring training.”

Laurila: You’ve learned Spanish since coming over?

Mead: “Yes. With the Phillies, in the Gulf Coast League, it was mandatory. It was twice-a-week Spanish, and I got reasonably good. I haven’t really touched on it since that year, but with Spanish-speaking players on the team, I try to pick up a thing or two every day. I understand words and phrases, so we kind of go back-and-forth. They understand a little bit of English, and I understand a little bit of Spanish, so we’re able to communicate.”

Laurila: What was it like to come to the GCL in 2019?

Mead: “I was 18, and leaving home, knowing that it was going to be for six months, and knowing that my parents weren’t going to be able to go over, it was definitely … the first month or two I was really homesick. I wasn’t sure if this was what I really wanted to do. But it worked out reasonably well for me, because I spent so much time at the field. I didn’t have anything to do outside of baseball, so I put all of time and effort into baseball.

"Then, around the halfway point of the year, I started to feel more comfortable. I knew that I was going home in a few months and I’d gotten more comfortable with the environment.”

Laurila: What about comfort level in the batter’s box? The quality of play would have been a lot better than you’d previously experienced.

Mead: “Initially, it was tough. For one thing, the ABL doesn’t get massive crowds, but there is still some atmosphere, if you know what I mean. Going to the Gulf Coast League, it was mainly scouts watching you play. It was initially tough to understand, ‘OK, this is where I’m at,” and get myself hyped up for the game. It was definitely a different type of baseball.

“In Australia, not many guys throw as hard, but they’re kind of smarter and able to get outs — that sort of thing — whereas in America, you find younger, less-experienced guys who are more talented. It’s definitely a different mix and, again, a different type of baseball.”

Laurila: Have you essentially “learned to hit,” since coming over? In other words, has the level of instruction been notably higher than what you experienced back home?

Mead: “Yeah, definitely. I think that’s one thing that Australia is probably lacking in. There are a lot of guys who know what they’re talking about, but then there is that next level of hitting coaches and metrics. And honestly, facilities are what they’re really lacking. Things like Rapsodo, and all the types of data that we get in America, are hard to come by in Australia. So my game has definitely developed since coming over here.”

Laurila: What has changed for you in terms of mechanics and approach?

Mead: “A little bit of my setup has changed, but nothing too drastic. It’s more of just understanding when things aren’t going well, and having a better approach, going into the games understanding what the opposing pitcher is doing. It’s more that side of things. You can watch video of your own swing, you can watch video on the upcoming pitcher. I think that’s what’s taking my game to the next level.”

Laurila: Most of the players who have come over from Australia and had success are pitchers; only a few have been position players. Why do you think that is?

Mead: “I’m not really sure what the reason is, but it’s definitely easier to develop a pitcher. Having big-league pitchers from Australia coming back home and teaching guys is helpful [whereas] you have fewer hitters and hitting coaches coming back to Australia.”

Laurila: Do you know how many Australians are currently playing in the minors?

Mead: “Probably 20 to 30, roughly? There is actually a good batch of hitters that I keep in track with. Most of them play in Adelaide with me in the offseason.”

Laurila: Who among them would you say has the most potential?

Mead: “It depends on what type of hitter you’re looking for, and if you’re including defense. But Robbie Glendinning can really hit. He’s a little bit older [26] and plays with the Pirates. He’s put together some pretty good years in the ABL and here in America.”

Laurila: You mentioned defense. Are you primarily playing third base now?

Mead: “Yes, mainly third base. I’m also touching a little bit of first base, but I’m mostly playing third.”

Laurila: Let’s close with your early years in the game. How did you get involved?

Mead: “I got into baseball from my dad. In Australia, it’s kind of hard to get into baseball with the lack of guys playing, so you’ve kind of got to know someone. My dad [Tim Mead] played in the ABL — we’re one of the few fathers and sons to have done so — and he was my coach up until I was 14-15. After that, he felt it was best that I had someone else coach me.

"Even so, with him having seen me play for a long time, we’ll chat and he’ll say, ‘That looks perfect; that looks exactly like when you’re going good.’ Other times he’ll say, ‘Oh, that doesn’t quite look so good; when you’re going better, you do this.’ So it’s pretty cool to have someone who’s kind of seen your whole career and knows what he’s talking about. I’ve learned a lot from him.”  (David Laurila - Oct 26, 2021)

March 4, 2022: Curtis Mead was home for the winter, training with the Adelaide Giants of the Australian Baseball League, when his phone lit up with missed calls and text messages on Nov. 20, 2019. He had been at practice when the Phillies traded him to the Rays. And Philadelphia officials were trying to reach Mead, then a little-known 19-year-old with no stateside experience above the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, to inform him he’d been dealt to Tampa Bay.

“Initially,” Mead said, “I didn’t love it.”

The Phillies signed Mead out of Australia when he was only 17, and he had quickly grown comfortable with the organization, his coaches, and his teammates. All of a sudden, he had a new team he didn’t know much about. But a phone call from director of Minor League operations Jeff McLerran helped settle Mead’s nerves. McLerran spoke highly of Mead, saying the Rays thought he’d make a big impact on their organization. “Ever since then, I haven't looked back,” Mead said. “I've been really, really happy that it happened.”

And the Rays have been really, really happy to have him. Mead broke out in his organizational debut last season in 2021, hitting his way onto the radar and emerging as one of the top prospects in the Rays’ deep system heading into this year.

Mead began the season with Low-A Charleston and dominated pitchers with a .356/.408/.586 slash line and seven homers in 47 games. He didn’t slow down much after a promotion to High-A Bowling Green, hitting .282/.348/.466 with seven homers in 53 games. The 20-year-old corner infielder spent a week with Triple-A Durham in September and went 6-for-14 with a homer and two doubles. And he capped his impressive year with a .313/.360/.530 showing and three homers over 20 games in the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League.

“I really think it was a dream come true,” Mead said after a Minor League Spring Training workout at the Rays’ Charlotte Sports Park complex.

Mead wasn’t exactly unknown entering last season. He was scouted by 6 to 10 teams as a teenager, earned a $200,000 signing bonus as an amateur and came to the Rays in a trade for a reliever who pitched in the Majors last year. But as Mead himself noted, he wasn’t even listed among Tampa Bay’s top 30 prospects this time a year ago. So, you might be wondering, where did this guy come from?

Mead grew up with the game because his father, Tim, played baseball. So did Tim’s father. Tim never pushed any sports on his children, but Mead came to love baseball (his best sport, even if he admittedly didn’t try particularly hard at first) and Australian rules football more than his experiences with soccer, tennis and cricket. When he was 16, Mead sat down with his family to decide which sport he’d try to go pro in.

“Then I really put in the hard yards with baseball, and then it kind of clicked from there,” Mead said. 

Mead generated some interest after taking part in showcases in Arizona, signed with the Phillies, made his brief professional debut in 2018 then caught the Rays’ attention when he hit .285/.351/.462 in 44 games for the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2019. Tampa Bay’s commitment to scouting, especially at the Minors’ lowest levels, paid off in a big way with Mead. 

“I think we all knew Curtis Mead could hit,” Rays Minor League field coordinator Michael Johns said. “I don't know if we knew he had that kind of power with the speed off bat, and it just kept getting better.”

There’s a reason for Mead’s power surge. Now 21 years old, he has muscled up since the trade, putting on 30 pounds between 2019 and now with a “pretty strict” lifting program and 3,000-calories-a-day diet. Mead has found the added weight upgraded his ability to run, throw and hit the ball hard. It showed.

“When he was at the Arizona Fall League, he was [hitting] with better plate discipline but also hitting for more power. And right now, I think we have a guy that can be a complete hitter,” said Double-A Montgomery hitting coach Wuarnner Rincones, who coached Mead in Charleston and the Fall League last year. “He can be an everyday player in the Major Leagues who can hit 25-plus homers and be an elite player at the Major League level.”

Mead’s confidence and presence stand out to Rays coaches and players, too. Rincones said he treats everyone the same, from high-level baseball operations officials to his youngest teammates. He’s “fun to coach,” Johns said, someone who carefully listens to advice. Fellow top prospect Taj Bradley thought Mead was 23 when they first met — not because of his stature, but because of his attitude.

“He’s really mature. He's a great hitter, great player,” Bradley said. “I always say there's gamers and there's showcase guys. He's a gamer.”

Two moments made Mead step back and appreciate what he did last season, in 2021. The first came when he was called up to High-A, because he didn’t expect to succeed like he did in Low-A. (It was “challenging,” he said with a grin, to learn he wouldn’t hit almost .360 everywhere else he went.) The second came when he made a cameo in Triple-A, a surprising promotion, and held his own. The confidence he gained there propelled him through the rest of the fall and winter.

“It made me work a little bit extra hard in the offseason, that's for sure,” Mead said. “That’s when I was kind of like, ‘Maybe I’m not as far away as I thought.’ So that was pretty cool.”

Mead’s breakout was properly reflected on prospect lists. He jumped to No. 14 in the Rays’ system, according to MLB Pipeline, by midseason and is slated to take another leap this year. Johns raved about the work he put in defensively while training this offseason in Nashville, Tenn. Mead will continue to play third and first base, though he’ll mix in a little time at second base to test his improved agility.

His mentality hasn’t changed, though.

“I think just continuing to build off last year and prove that it wasn't really a fluke and continue to work hard,” Mead said. “I think it'll be a little bit easier knowing that I've played at the Triple-A level. So whether I land at Double-A or Triple-A, I will have that layer of confidence.” (A Berry - MLB.com - March 4, 2022)

In 2022, Mead represented the Rays at the All-Star Futures Game in Los Angeles.

 2022 Season: Scouting grades:  HIT: 60  PWR: 55  RUN: 45  ARM: 45  FLD: 45

I love Mead’s bat and really wanted to put him in my Top 50, but he missed the cut by one spot. He didn’t make it because he’s a below-average defender with a below-average arm and he lacks speed and range. However, his bat is major-league-ready now. Mead knows how to work a count, uses the whole field at the plate and does a good job of keeping his hands inside the ball. He has slashed .298/.390/.532 with 27 doubles and 13 home runs at Double A and Triple A this season in 331 combined plate appearances.  (Jim Bowden - Aug 30, 2022)

In 2023, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook ranked Mead as the 2nd-best prospect in the Rays' organization — behind only RHP Shane Baz. He was at #3 in the spring of 2024.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA TO DETROIT, MICHIGAN

Aug 5, 2023:  The Ballad of Curtis Mead will no doubt grow over the years and sprout various iterations as it’s passed on to family members and friends. Did he call with the news at 7:00 a.m., or was it 6:00? Did the trans-Pacific flight take 30 total hours, or longer? And what’s with crying in the customs line at LAX?

Even the most mundane recollections of how it all went down make for a pretty great callup story for baseball’s No. 31 overall prospect (No. 3 on the Rays), who made his first MLB start during Tampa Bay’s 4-2 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park. “It’s surreal,” said Curtis' mom, Sandy.

“Insane,” sister Jamie agreed.

By the time Curtis was announced in the starting lineup, members of the Mead clan - mom, dad, sister, agent, friend, girlfriend and her family - were settled comfortably in their seats behind home plate without betraying a hint of what a whirlwind the past 48 hours had been.

It started with a phone call …

When Sandy’s phone rang at 6:00 a.m. Australian time, she thought nothing of it because of the time difference. But then there was Curtis on the other end, so emotional he could barely get the words out. After five Minor League seasons, he was getting called up for the first time.

And after that?

“A lot of chaos,” Sandy said.

Tim and Sandy Mead had just spent a few months stateside visiting their son and daughter, but there was no question that they would head to Detroit. Thus began a chain reaction of phone calls, e-mails and Internet searches as the Meads scrambled to take off work and find a flight - any flight - that would arrive in time for the Rays’ next game. Less than 10 hours after Sandy answered the phone that morning, she, Tim, and Jamie left the airport in Adelaide, Australia, on the first leg of their trip to Detroit.

"Do you want to go to Detroit?"

When Delaney Wood’s phone rang that Friday, Curtis’ girlfriend knew “it was either really good or really bad.”

“He kind of went silent for a second, and then he was so emotional, he couldn't get it out. And I just knew,” Delaney recalled. “And finally, he said, ‘Do you want to go to Detroit?’”

Curtis’ family was still in another hemisphere when he arrived at the ballpark on a Friday, but Wood, her parents and Curtis’ two agents - all of whom were already in the U.S. - were there with bells on.

Good thing, too: Even though Curtis wasn’t in the starting lineup, he entered in the bottom of the seventh, played third base, and took his first MLB at-bat in the top of the eighth.

In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment that was on brand for the rest of the frenzied day, Curtis blasted the first offering from Tigers reliever Brendan White up the first-base line for his first career hit.

“I think I was going to swing no matter where it was,” Curtis laughed afterward. “It just happened to be a strike.”

Somewhere over the Pacific . . . Tim, Sandy and Jamie, meanwhile, were roughly 20 hours and two legs into their Adelaide -> Melbourne (Australia) -> Los Angeles -> Detroit voyage. The three of them had just landed in Los Angeles and gotten out their phones as they waited in the customs line, when there it was. Curtis’ first hit.

They’d made it there just in time.

“We saw it come through,” Sandy said, beaming. “We had been flying, so we didn't even know he'd gotten into the game. We were crying. The customs people probably thought we were fruitcakes.”

Some 10,000 miles and 40 hours later, the members of Curtis Mead’s cheering section gathered behind home plate following the game to congratulate their big leaguer in person. He went 0-for-3, reaching base once on a hit-by-pitch and showing off a smooth backhand to pick off a chopper up the third-base line, firing to first for the second out of the fourth inning.  (D Klemish - NLB.com - Aug 5, 2023)

TRANSACTIONS

Mead has the best combination of power, bat-to-ball skills, and hitting ability among Rays minor leaguers. He manages to combine some of the best average exit velocities in the Rays system (90 mph average) with the kind of contact-heavy approach (15.5% strikeout percentage) the organization covets. His level swing produces more line drives than lofted home runs, but he regularly drills balls into the gaps. He has a 60 grade hit tool and 55 grade power.

Curtis is one the Rays’ best pure hitters. He has the rare combination of above-average plate discipline and exceptional bat-to-ball skills. Mead looks to pull or go up the middle to do damage, but with two strikes the Australia native shortens up and pokes the ball to right field. He has plus power potential, though so far it has led to more doubles than home runs because he hits balls to the power alleys.

Mead feasts on fastballs. He’s not a very adept breaking ball hitter, but he recognizes them and doesn’t chase. (JJ Cooper - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2024)

Curtis bats out of an upright stance, and its simplicity allows him to see the ball well and react to most pitches. He doesn’t strike out a ton by modern standards, but the Rays have been enthused by the way he’s become more selective in seeking out pitches on which to do damage, rather than making contact for the sake of making contact. That change in approach, along with the 22-year-old’s increasing strength, should help him settle into 20-25-homer power over the next decade. (BA - Spring 2023)

Curtis ranked among the best in the minors in average exit velocity (91 mph) and hard-hit rate (over 50%). He is a tinkerer who will adjust his stance and setup to see what works and what doesn't, partly because his hands work so well. Mead's swing is relatively level and conducive to line drives and high batting averages more than massive home run numbers, but he's expected to develop into a 25-plus home run threat as he learns how to better capitalize on hitter's counts. 

“Curtis has been extremely impressive in his time with us,’’ Rays general manager Peter Bendix said in 2023. “His natural feel to hit and his power are exceptional, and he's improved a lot defensively as well." (J.J. Cooper - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2023)

Mead, a right-handed slugger stands upright in his stance and commands the strike zone with a mix of discipline and bat control that leads to few strikeouts. (His 15.5 percent K rate was fourth-best among Rays full-season qualifiers in 2021.) Mead is also able to show plus raw power from the box. His contact mostly results in line drives and doubles to the gap for now, but the Rays believe those will go over the fence as the 21-year-old matures and gains experience. (Spring 2022)

Curtis is clearly a hitter with power rather than a slugger that hits.

Mead has long impressed as a hitter who manages to pull off the tricky task of generating hard contact without the strikeout rates that usually come with trying to hit the ball very hard.

Mead is still plenty raw, given his dearth of pro experience, but he has most certainly hit everywhere he has been over the last four years. He exhibits promising bat control from the right side and doesn’t strike out much for this era of baseball with K rates around 15 percent. He can show above-average raw power in batting practice, and the Rays are enthused of how that it starting to translate into games with more promising exit velocities. Even if neither offensive tool proves to be truly plus, Mead has the all-around skill set to be an average hitter at the top level.

Unless that BP pop results in more in-game homers as he matures, there isn’t going to be much flash in Mead’s game. His potential to put the ball in play and produce steady batting averages, however, is something any manager would want in a lineup. (Spring 2021)

Curtis broke out his big bat in 2021. He has impressive bat-to-ball skills and is able to make contact against velocity and off-speed pitches while hitting the ball from line to line. It’s mostly gap power currently, but some of those doubles should translate to home runs as Curtis matures.

"He has impressed our staff with his ability to impact the baseball,’’ Rays vice president of player development Carlos Rodriguez said.

“We’ve enjoyed watching him carry that into full-season competition. He’s got a good feel for hitting and can recognize spin early. As a result, he hits the ball hard and puts it in play often . . .

"We’d love to see him maintain the same type of impact while continuing to improve his plate discipline as he faces higher-level pitching.’’ (Marc Topkin - Baseball America - Sept. 2021)

2023 Season: AAA: .287/.377/.502, 65 G, 9 HR, 49 RBI, 41 R, 36 BB, 4 SB

A wrist fracture caused by a hit by pitch sidelined Mead for two months, but that didn’t keep the Aussie from coming back in a big way. He slashed .355/.460/.538 after his return to Durham, a big reason for his callup to the Rays in August. An upright stance gives him poise at the plate. He doesn’t expand the strike zone or whiff at bad pitches. (Melanie Heller - Dec. 21, 2023)

Curtis does pretty well at third base, but there are questions remaining about whether he can stay there due to average range (50 grade defender). Also, his throwing action is long and unorthodox, and he can’t rifle a throw without getting his feet set. He has a 30 grade arm.

Mead’s well below-average arm is an issue for him at either second base or third. He has solid short-area quickness and a solid first step. His hands are average as well, but if he has to leave his feet, go to his knees or move away from his target, he struggles to get anything on his throws. The shift restrictions help him at second by eliminating long throws from short right field. (Cooper - BAPH - Spring, 2024)

Mead’s arm strength has been an issue throughout the Minors, and that was before last year’s elbow injury. He got the bulk of his starts at third base in 2022 but is likely a better fit at second or first because of the arm. As is their M.O., the Rays plan to keep moving Mead around as long as they can to keep any hope of versatility because they, and many in the industry, believe his bat will be an impactful presence in any lineup. (Spring 2023)

Second base may fit better than third, and the new restrictions on shifting will benefit him. His arm strength would have been stretched on shifts into short right field, but now that positioning is prohibited. At third base, Mead's arm will likely always be a liability, but he has worked on quickening his release. His range is fringe-average at best, but his hands are adequate. He has also played first base. (Spring, 2023)

Defensively, the Rays have started playing Mead nearly as much at second base as they do at third. He fits better there because of his below-average arm. Mead has improved his throwing, but it’s still a somewhat awkward throwing motion and modest arm strength. He’s definitely a better hitter than fielder, but he has shown steady improvement and should be playable at multiple infield positions. (August 2022)

Tampa Bay wants to keep him away from a full-time first base role as long as possible and made third base his primary position in 2021, though he’s far from fluid there. His arm strength is also tested across the diamond. He has seen more game time at second base this season, and that has replaced first as his secondary position. The bat will play anywhere he lands, and that notion has gotten truer with each passing level. (Spring 2022)

Mead has defensive experience at all four infield spots, which could come with some extra value for an innovative Tampa Bay organization, but the Rays like him most at third base, where he shows a solid glove. Mead won’t fire darts from the hot corner, but he possesses enough arm strength to get his throws across the diamond. His history of playing all over the dirt will only strengthen his Major League case as he climbs toward St. Petersburg. (Spring 2021)

April 5-May 26, 2022: In the minors, Curtis was on IL with a right elbow strain.