Julian Merryweather

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #17 prospect in 2018
  Following a breakout 2016 season, Merryweather carried that momentum into 2017. After a strong start to the season with Double-A Akron, he was promoted to Triple-A at the end of May. While Merryweather's results suffered down the stretch with the Clippers, his stuff and peripherals remained strong. Merryweather has the stuff to start, but still is learning some of the finer points of pitching. His fastball sits in the mid 90s and regularly reaches 97 mph. His changeup can be an above-average pitch with fading action, but he will need to tighten the pitch up to get hitters to chase it more often. He throws both a curveball and a slider, which can be average offerings. He does a good job of using his 6-foot-4 frame to his advantage and works well down in the strike zone to create groundouts. He throws a lot of strikes and repeats his delivery well. Merryweather has the potential to be a starter in the big leagues, but he will be 26 on Opening Day and breaking into the Indians' already crowded rotation is no easy task. He'll start 2018 back at Columbus and have a chance to pitch his way into the mix in Cleveland.
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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #23 prospect in 2017
  Merryweather as a senior helped pitch Oklahoma Baptist to a third-place finish at the 2014 NAIA World Series and then became the highest drafted player in program history when the Indians selected him in the fifth round. After injuries marred his first full season in 2015, he broke out in 2016 by earning all-star honors in the Carolina League and a midseason promotion to Double-A Akron. Merryweather's fastball sits 93-95 mph and regularly touches 97. His changeup, which made significant strides in 2016, and his breaking ball are both average offerings. In addition to working on his changeup, Merryweather refined his delivery to allow him to repeat it more consistently and better leverage his 6-foot-4 frame. As a result, he threw more strikes and worked well down in the zone more often, helping him create a high number of groundball outs. Merryweather's arsenal gives him a chance to develop into a major league starter, but his stuff would also play well in the bullpen. For now, he'll likely return to the Akron rotation in 2017.