Adalberto Mejia, LHP. DOB: 6/20/1993. 6'3", 195 lbs.
AA: 5-2, 2.45, 51.1 IP, 6.66 K/9, 3.16 BB/9.
AFL: 2-2, 3.48, 31 IP, 7.55 K/9, 4.06 BB/9.
Mejia has been working his way up the Giants organizational ladder since he was 17 years old and pitching in the DSL. He got a late start on 2015 due to a 50 game suspension for use of a banned medication which is sold over-the-counter in the Dominical Republic as a weight loss agent. What is more disturbing about that than the medication itself is the implication that he thought he needed to lose weight and thought that was a good way to do it.
He pitched successfully for AA Richmond after his return, albeit with pedestrian K and BB rates. He was assigned to pitch in the AFL, got off to a rough start, but finished strong. Over his last 3 starts he allowed 3 ER in 12.2 IP, with 13 K's and 4 BB's. Over his last 2 starts he was even better with 2 ER in 9 IP with 8 K's and just 1 BB.
Mejia features a low 90's FB, a sharp slider and an average to below average changeup. He is still learning to command the FB to both sides of the plate and is working on refining his secondary pitches. He will likely be assigned to AAA Sacramento to start 2016 where he will compete with Chris Stratton to be #8 on the Giants SP depth chart behind Clayton Blackburn.
His ceiling is likely #3 SP with an ETA of Sept 2016 but probably mid-season 2017 before he sticks.
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Mejia's yearly placement on Doc's Top 50:
ReplyDelete2012: 15th
2013: 6th
2014: 7th
2015: 14th
2016: 7th
Mejia is one of my favorite Giant prospects. He's a nice mix of our best pitching prospects. I don't think he has quite the pitchability or savvy of Blach/Blackburn, but I still think he rates highly there. He's just motored up the levels at a young age, and has had a pattern of initial struggles followed by figuring it out and being successful. That's a very good sign to me.
ReplyDeleteLikewise, I don't think he's far off the raw arm talent of Beede and Bickford. He sits in that low 90's range, and I remember a measurement from the AFL a few years back that he had by far the most rotations on his breaking ball in the league that year. He can really spin it.
I think that combo gives him a very high floor (Affeldtian reliever), and a potentially very high ceiling (#1 starter). It was a big bummer that he wasted an important year for himself with that suspension, but he is STILL just 22! Prior to that suspension I had him pegged as the big breakout candidate, and I'll run that back for this year.