Baseball players are superstitious, even if they don’t readily admit or realize it.

On one hand, Portland Sea Dogs infielder Chase Meidroth said he didn’t realize he’d gotten on base in almost every game he’s played since he joined the team in early May. On the other hand, when Meidroth was asked about his on-base streak, which at that point stood at 23 games, the first words out of his mouth were, “Don’t jinx it.”

Jinxed or not, Meidroth’s on-base streak ended at 25 games Thursday. Meidroth has reached base in 31 of 33 games. His .425 on-base percentage leads the team, and Meidroth has four home runs, 17 RBI, and 19 runs scored with a .291 batting average.

“It differs from pitcher to pitcher. I’m definitely a very selective hitter, as far as what pitches I’m trying to do damage with,” Meidroth said of his approach at the plate. “I’m not giving away all my secrets.”

Boston’s fourth-round pick in last year’s draft, the 21-year-old is the first player in the Red Sox Class of 2022 to advance to Double-A. His time in High-A Greenville lasted just 20 games at the start of this season. Last season, Meidroth played three games with the Red Sox Florida Complex League team in Fort Myers, Floridam, before finishing the game with 19 games with Low-A Salem. In that brief introduction to pro ball, Meidroth’s on-base percentage was .438. In the 20 games he played for Greenville before his call-up to Portland on May 10, Meidroth’s on-base percentage was .495.

“Ever since he’s gotten here, his swing decisions are excellent. He swings at good pitches. He’s not afraid to swing with two strikes,” said Portland Manager Chad Epperson. “You put those things together and his ability to put the bat on the ball, things like (getting on base) can happen, right? We’re getting traffic (on the bases), and he’s a big reason for that.”

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Meidroth plays with a chip on his shoulder, said Brock Ungricht, his coach at the University of San Diego.

“He’s the guy you love to have on your team. His personality, his charisma, is contagious. You’re an opposing team, he’s going to piss you off. The guy wants to win more than anything,” Ungricht said.

Meidroth has been an on-base machine at every level of baseball. As a junior shortstop at San Diego in 2022, Meidroth’s OBP was .440, with a .329 batting average, 10 home runs, 47 RBI, and 53 runs in 56 games. That was a breakout season for Meidroth, who lost his freshman season after 13 games because the pandemic, and played in just six games in 2021 because of a shoulder injury. Healthy last season, Meidroth became one of the top players for the Toreros, helping San Diego win the West Coast Conference and advance to the NCAA tournament.

“He ran with it last year,” Ungricht said. “Baseball is a game of failure. We talked a lot about it. Your swing is not going to feel great every day. Are you competing with what you have or just trying to feel good?”

Meidroth said Ungricht and San Diego assistant coach Erich Pfohl were instrumental in helping him improve his mental approach to baseball. Every player comes to college baseball after a dominant high school career, Ungricht said. How you handle the adversity that comes with playing at a higher level often determines success. Playing for Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn at San Diego State, Ungricht learned every hitter needs a plan with every at bat. Gwynn, who had 3,141 hits over his 20-year major league career, stressed discipline at the plate. Ungricht passed that lesson on to Meidroth.

“That’s what Chase really grabbed on to,” Ungricht said. “I follow him every night. It’s not shocking to me, to be honest. He’s the definition of putting together quality at-bats.”

Meidroth had played very little third base before making the jump to pro ball, but that’s been his primary position since joining the Sea Dogs. It hasn’t been a big adjustment, he said, just a longer throw to first base, Meidroth also has seen time at second base.

“He’s working hard at it. He’s played third more than anywhere (this season). He’s got really good feel for the glove. What he’s working on is making sure he’s getting his lower half underneath him when he’s making his throws and finishing his throws to first base,” Epperson said.

Meidroth played briefly with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod League last summer before the draft. It was just 22 games, but Meidroth said the experience playing among the top college players in the country helped prepare him for the jump to pro ball. He didn’t expect this fast climb through the lower levels of Boston’s minor league system. He said he has no expectations for himself, other than to play hard.

“I’ve always said that. I’m just enjoying every moment, every spot I’m at. I’m blessed to be here in Portland right now,” Meidroth said. “It finally hit me in my first game when I got up here May 10. It’s a little different atmosphere. Greenville prepares you for it. There’s a really good fan base down there. It’s a very good league. I felt I was ready coming in here. They did a very good job preparing me. It’s all business down there. It wasn’t a huge jump. It’s the same game, new day.”

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