Adalberto Mejia, LHP. 6'3", 195 lbs. DOB: 6/20/1993.
High A: 7-4, 3.31, 87 IP, 23 BB, 89 K, GO/AO= 0.76.
AAA: 0-0, 3.60, 5 IP, 2 BB, 2 K.
AFL: 1-3, 8.47, 17 IP, 8 BB, 14 K.
Adalberto Mejia was a 6 figure international bonus baby, I think somewhere in the $300 K range. He made his debut in the DSL in 2011 showing dominant command at a young age. The Giants were so impressed they jumped him all the way to low A ball for 2011 where he turned another very solid performance after getting off to a shaky start.
2013 saw him more than hold his own in the very tough High A Cal League and he even did OK in an emergency start for Fresno! He missed a few weeks with an oblique strain early in the season, so the Giants sent him to Arizona Fall League to get in some extra innings. He got knocked around there a bit in a very small sample size.
Although Mejia has terrific size for a LHP, he has depended more on pitchability and command than velocity although Baggs in his BA scouting report has him sitting at 92-93 MPH which is not too shabby. He throws 3 solid pitches for strikes and already has a good feel for the change up. Baggs variously describes his FB as a "2 seam" and having "natural cut." I'm not sure how that correlates with his rather extreme flyball tendency, as that usually goes along with a 4 seam FB. The flyball tendency is a possible red flag to me in the face of a low 90's FB and not super-dominant K rate, although both could change as he gets older and stronger.
The positives for Mejia are size, age vs level and command of 3 pitches. The negatives are the flyball tendency without elite velocity or elite K rates. He should be a member of the Richmond starting rotation for 2014. That is a pitching friendly environment, a great place for him to get stronger, gain experience and solidify his game. He will still be very young for the level.
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If he goes to Richmond, he should gain from wotking under the tutelage of Ross Grimsley. Grimseley might think he died and went to heaven with the staff he could have in 2014 in Richmond.
ReplyDeleteMejia's ascent from the DSL to Richmond in three seasons is pretty remarkable. We can only hope Mr. Mella begins his ascent in 2014. I have read in a few places that Mejia's FB velocity in the AFL averaged 94. If that's true, then that's certainly a high mark for him. We've also heard about Kendry Flores hitting 95 this year, and Esky running his heater up to 96. Aside from seeing Crick's readings on the tube in his AFL start, and Mella/Chase Johnson in the instructional videos, I'd have to say I don't know what to make about all of the other reports.
ReplyDeleteI think the key to Mejia's game is continuing to develop that slider. I've read that he's flashed some nice back-foot movement with it at times. If he can harness that thing, I think he's got a very nice future. I don't know why, but I just have a gut feeling that he'll be one of the best big leaguers to come out of this crop of arms.
One other thing. I forgot to mention that I tuned in to his spot start in Fresno (online), and the kid has a serious MLB body. For someone Mejia's age, I genuinely thought I was watching a 30 year-old veteran on the hill. I was very impressed by his size.
DeleteI don't know why, but I just have a gut feeling that Mejia won't be all that. Maybe it was getting clobbered in the AFL or maybe it was the smallish workload he put in a A+. Maybe it just seems too good to be true to have a second lefty prospect follow right behind Escobar.
DeleteAs always, we'll see what happens versus more advanced hitting.
BTW, if he was throwing harder in the AFL, that might have been the reason he got clobbered. He'll be better off with movement and location at 91-92.
I don't put a lot of stock in AFL stats. It such a small sample size. Buster Posey had a terrible AFL to name just one. I see Susac's performance there as a positive, but only in the sense that it helps validate his early season AA success, and not so much that I think the AFL performance is a stand-alone indicator.
DeleteJust for comparison and setting aside secondary pitches, maturity and knowledge about pitching, how hard does Bumgarner throw or did he throw? Isn't he around 92-93 as well? I don't if any of our big league starters, Cain, Lincecum, Vogelsong et al, throw harder than 95 regularly.
ReplyDeleteBTW, a somewhat remotely related question, when was the last time we graduated a LOOGY - Fultz about 10 or 12 years ago?
Cain and Lincecum hit 94-96 regularly when they were younger. Bumgarner topped out in the 93-95 range, but mostly 91-93.
DeleteFor Crick and Mejia, the MPH being recorded from the AFL are a few MPHs higher than they were throwing in Cal League action - at least in the games I watched in Visalia. I would account for this by the pitchers knowing they had fewer innings to pitch and more scouts were watching them, which may ramp up the MPH a bit. APGiantsfan
ReplyDeleteA K an inning in High-A as the youngest pitcher in the league is just fine. But I'd agree, Mejia is running behind others as far as getting strikeouts, which is an important factor for pitching prospectin'.
ReplyDeleteI just love the guys frame. He's a boy in a man's body. And we'll see where this uptick in velocity goes. He did have a 25% K-rate. The long ball is a big concern. Escobar is way ahead of Mejia in this regard.
Agree 100% about the man's body statement. Big kid, with impressive size.
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