Max Meyer

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #2 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Track Record: After starring as a two-way player at Minnesota for three years with a career 2.13 ERA and 187 strikeouts in 148 innings, Meyer was drafted third overall in the 2020 draft and signed to an under-slot deal worth $6.7 million. He started his professional career at Double-A Pensacola in 2021 and he carved his way to a 2.41 ERA with 113 strikeouts in 101 innings. Meyer ended the season at Triple-A Jacksonville, where he had similar success. After making a dozen starts in Jacksonville to start the 2022 season in which he struck out 65 in 58 innings, Meyer was called up to Miami. He was off to a promising start before a July elbow injury led to Tommy John surgery and he missed the entire 2023 season.
  
  Scouting Report: Meyer has an explosive fastball that sits in the 93-95 mph range and tops out at 97. It jumps out of his hand and takes on a unique shape with an average of 12 inches of induced vertical break and 5 inches of horizontal break. Most of batters’ swings and misses against the pitch come at the top of the zone. The main attraction with Meyer is his soul-snatching, high-80s power slider. It has tight spin with serious late teeth and is effective against hitters on either side of the plate. Meyer’s advanced feel for the pitch makes it all the more lethal. He also has a high-80s changeup that boasts ample armside fade and is an above-average pitch. Meyer is an athletic mover on the mound and has some effort to his delivery. He attacks from a high-three quarters slot and is consistently around the strike zone.
  
  The Future: Meyer is poised to head into spring training healthy and will have the opportunity to make the big league Opening Day roster. He projects either as a midrotation arm or perhaps even a high-leverage reliever down the road.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #2 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: The 2020 season was supposed to be Meyer's time to transition from Minnesota's bullpen to the rotation. Instead, the pandemic happened, and the season was cut short. Still, the Marlins saw enough to draft him No. 3 overall and send him directly to Double-A to start his first season as a pro in 2021. Most questions surrounding Meyer out of the draft involved his ability to hold up as a starter. Those concerns surfaced in 2022, first with a nerve issue in his elbow and eventually Tommy John surgery that ended his season a few starts after his MLB debut.
  
  Scouting Report: In 2021, Meyer thrived despite an arsenal that was vanilla to open the year but got better as the Double-A Pensacola season wore on. A year later, he emerged with a changeup that had taken a dramatic jump as a perfect third pitch to go with his dynamic fastball/slider combination. Scouts who saw Meyer in the minors were wowed by the power in his arsenal. His fastball sat in the mid 90s and set up a dastardly slider that grades as a legitimate double-plus pitch capable of getting silly swings from talented hitters. The emergence of the changeup came in part because Meyer started to use it more as a third potentially above-average pitch to complete his arsenal rather than the show-me offering when he was in the bullpen. The second component was that Meyer improved his arm speed on his changeup to match what he showed on his other two pitches.
  
  The Future: Meyer's Tommy John surgery puts a huge dent in the Marlins' outlook and further stymies their pitching development. He'll likely miss all of 2023, leaving Miami in a holding pattern until he, Jake Eder and Sixto Sanchez are healthy again.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 70. Changeup: 55. Control: 55
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #5 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: After two dominant years in Minnesota’s bullpen, Meyer entered the 2020 season as part of the Golden Gophers’ rotation. He made only four starts before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the season, but the Marlins were confident enough in what they saw to draft him third overall. Meyer jumped straight to Double-A to start his pro career and, though his stuff was inconsistent, his numbers were superb. His 2.27 ERA ranked fourth in the minors among pitchers who threw at least 100 innings and his 130 strikeouts were the second-most in the Marlins system.
  
  Scouting Report: Meyer’s bread and butter is his fastball and slider combination. His plus fastball typically sits in the low 90s and gets up to 96-97 when he needs a few extra notches. His plus slider was the clear leader in his arsenal as an amateur, a true downer weapon that generated plenty of swings and misses. The pitch was much less consistent in his pro debut, though it showed flashes of its formerly monstrous self. Meyer had a slightly lower arm slot in 2021 than he had as an amateur, a possible reason for inconsistency. Meyer’s fringy changeup is still a work in progress and shows little movement, instead relying on the separation from his fastball to disrupt batters’ timing. Though undersized, Meyer is an exceptional athlete and throws all his pitches for strikes with above-average control.
  
  The Future: Meyer ended the season at Triple-A and should return to the level in 2022. If he can find consistency, improve his changeup and sharpen his command, he could pitch in the middle of a rotation.
  
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #3 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 70. Slider: 70. Changeup: 55. Control: 55
  
  TRACK RECORD: The Marlins surprised many when they chose Meyer with the third overall pick and made him the first pitcher selected in the 2020 draft. Meyer, a two-time member of USA Baseball’s Collegiate National team, signed for $6.7 million—a franchise record even at $520,000 under slot value. After opening his collegiate career as a closer and recording a school-record 16 saves as a freshman, Meyer moved into Minnesota’s rotation and posted 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings as a sophomore before dominating in an abbreviated junior campaign.
  SCOUTING REPORT: A natural strike-thrower with elite athleticism and explosiveness, Meyer is armed with a double-plus slider and fastball. He throws both with above-average control and a nearly effortless delivery. He throws his slider in the 92-93 mph range with excellent movement and depth. Meyer’s four-seamer touched 100 mph in college and averages 95-98 with solid sink. He complements those pitches with a mid-80s changeup that has above-average potential.
  THE FUTURE: Meyer has a chance to rise quickly after showing he could hold his own against older hitters at the alternate training site. His future as a starter or reliever depends on the development of his changeup as a reliable third pitch.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #10 prospect in 2020 draft
  If you’re looking for the best pure stuff in the 2020 draft class, Meyer might be your guy. A two-time member of USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team, Meyer is a two-way player for Minnesota with a long track record of excellence on the mound. After posting a 2.06 ERA as a reliever as a freshman in 2018, Meyer successfully transitioned to starting in 2019 and posted a 2.11 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 76.2 innings (10.2 strikeouts per nine). He took over the Friday night role this spring and was rapidly ascending draft boards before the season was cut short. Meyer has two 70-grade offerings in his arsenal. He holds a mid-90s fastball deep into outings and runs it up to 97-98 mph, while his slider is the best in the 2020 draft class. Meyer's slider is not only hard, reaching 92-93 mph, but it has tremendous movement and depth and he has excellent command of it. He can loosen it for strikes or tighten it for chases out of the zone at will. Some observers have called it the best amateur slider they've ever scouted. Meyer also has a mid-80s changeup with slight tailing life and above-average potential, giving him the third pitch needed to start. Meyer is undersized at 6-foot, 185 pounds, but he holds his stuff and there’s not a disconcerting amount of effort in his delivery. He has a strong history of throwing quality strikes and is one of the more athletic pitchers to come out of the draft in recent years. Meyer draws frequent comparisons to other small but high-octane starters like Sonny Gray and Marcus Stroman. He's gone from a late-first round option to a potential top-10 pick thanks to his early-season performance.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Southern League #8 prospect in 2021
  Meyer moved into the rotation for good as a college junior in 2020, just in time for the season to be shortened by the pandemic. The Marlins liked what they saw and drafted him third overall. Meyer shined at instructional league last fall and moved fast to Double-A to make his pro debut this season. His 2.38 ERA was lowest among the handful of league qualifiers. Meyer stayed healthy and in the rotation all season, reaching Triple-A in late September when Pensacola’s season ended. His slider earned consistent plus grades for his ability to command it, if not necessarily wipeout, two-plane break. His low-90s fastball tended to play down when he missed his spots, and his changeup is merely functional. Meyer battled the strike zone early and tended to nibble and lose his delivery, but his control sharpened later in the season.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #64 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #90 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #74 prospect in 2022
• Ranked Baseball America's #44 prospect in 2021

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: The 2020 season was supposed to be Meyer's time to transition from Minnesota's bullpen to the rotation. Instead, the pandemic happened, and the season was cut short. Still, the Marlins saw enough to draft him No. 3 overall and send him directly to Double-A to start his first season as a pro in 2021. Most questions surrounding Meyer out of the draft involved his ability to hold up as a starter. Those concerns surfaced in 2022, first with a nerve issue in his elbow and eventually Tommy John surgery that ended his season a few starts after his MLB debut.
  
  Scouting Report: In 2021, Meyer thrived despite an arsenal that was vanilla to open the year but got better as the Double-A Pensacola season wore on. A year later, he emerged with a changeup that had taken a dramatic jump as a perfect third pitch to go with his dynamic fastball/slider combination. Scouts who saw Meyer in the minors were wowed by the power in his arsenal. His fastball sat in the mid 90s and set up a dastardly slider that grades as a legitimate double-plus pitch capable of getting silly swings from talented hitters. The emergence of the changeup came in part because Meyer started to use it more as a third potentially above-average pitch to complete his arsenal rather than the show-me offering when he was in the bullpen. The second component was that Meyer improved his arm speed on his changeup to match what he showed on his other two pitches.
  
  The Future: Meyer's Tommy John surgery puts a huge dent in the Marlins' outlook and further stymies their pitching development. He'll likely miss all of 2023, leaving Miami in a holding pattern until he, Jake Eder and Sixto Sanchez are healthy again.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 70. Changeup: 55. Control: 55
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: The 2020 season was supposed to be Meyer's time to transition from Minnesota's bullpen to the rotation. Instead, the pandemic happened, and the season was cut short. Still, the Marlins saw enough to draft him No. 3 overall and send him directly to Double-A to start his first season as a pro in 2021. Most questions surrounding Meyer out of the draft involved his ability to hold up as a starter. Those concerns surfaced in 2022, first with a nerve issue in his elbow and eventually Tommy John surgery that ended his season a few starts after his MLB debut.
  
  Scouting Report: In 2021, Meyer thrived despite an arsenal that was vanilla to open the year but got better as the Double-A Pensacola season wore on. A year later, he emerged with a changeup that had taken a dramatic jump as a perfect third pitch to go with his dynamic fastball/slider combination. Scouts who saw Meyer in the minors were wowed by the power in his arsenal. His fastball sat in the mid 90s and set up a dastardly slider that grades as a legitimate double-plus pitch capable of getting silly swings from talented hitters. The emergence of the changeup came in part because Meyer started to use it more as a third potentially above-average pitch to complete his arsenal rather than the show-me offering when he was in the bullpen. The second component was that Meyer improved his arm speed on his changeup to match what he showed on his other two pitches.
  
  The Future: Meyer's Tommy John surgery puts a huge dent in the Marlins' outlook and further stymies their pitching development. He'll likely miss all of 2023, leaving Miami in a holding pattern until he, Jake Eder and Sixto Sanchez are healthy again.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 70. Changeup: 55. Control: 55
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 60/High
  
  August Update: Meyer&#39s season has had dramatic highs and lows. He looked outstanding to open the year, then missed time with nerve irritation in his right elbow. When he returned, he showed enough to make his big league debut. Two starts later, however, he re-injured his elbow and is slated for Tommy John surgery.
  
  Track Record: After two dominant years in the bullpen, Meyer entered the 2020 season ready to stretch himself as part of the Golden Gophers&#39 rotation. Then the pandemic happened, and that chance was cut short. Even so, the Marlins were confident enough in the sample they had to draft him No. 3 overall and make him the first pitcher off the board. They were impressed enough by what he showed at instructional league and spring training to jump him all the way to Double-A to start his career. Though his stuff was inconsistent, his numbers were superb. Meyer&#39s 2.27 ERA ranked fourth among pitchers who threw more than 100 innings, and his 130 strikeouts were the second-most in the system.
  
  Scouting Report: Meyer&#39s bread and butter is his combination of fastball and slider. The former pitch typically sits in the low 90s but can get up to 96-97 when he needs a few extra notches. The latter was the clear leader in his arsenal as an amateur, a true downer weapon that generated plenty of swings and misses. The pitch was much less consistent this season, though it showed flashes of its formerly monstrous self. Scouts noted a tick lower arm slot this year than he&#39d shown as an amateur and cited the mechanical changes as a possible reason for inconsistency. His changeup is still a work in progress and shows little movement, instead relying on the separation from his fastball to disrupt timing. The next steps for Meyer involve showing more consistency in his arsenal as well as better commanding his fastball to both sides of the plate.
  
  The Future: Meyer ended the season at Triple-A and should return to the level in 2022. If he can find consistency, improve his changeup and sharpen his command, he could pitch in the middle of a rotation. If not, he could be a weapon out of the bullpen.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 60. Control: 60.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: After two dominant years in Minnesota’s bullpen, Meyer entered the 2020 season as part of the Golden Gophers’ rotation. He made only four starts before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the season, but the Marlins were confident enough in what they saw to draft him third overall. Meyer jumped straight to Double-A to start his pro career and, though his stuff was inconsistent, his numbers were superb. His 2.27 ERA ranked fourth in the minors among pitchers who threw at least 100 innings and his 130 strikeouts were the second-most in the Marlins system.
  
  Scouting Report: Meyer’s bread and butter is his fastball and slider combination. His plus fastball typically sits in the low 90s and gets up to 96-97 when he needs a few extra notches. His plus slider was the clear leader in his arsenal as an amateur, a true downer weapon that generated plenty of swings and misses. The pitch was much less consistent in his pro debut, though it showed flashes of its formerly monstrous self. Meyer had a slightly lower arm slot in 2021 than he had as an amateur, a possible reason for inconsistency. Meyer’s fringy changeup is still a work in progress and shows little movement, instead relying on the separation from his fastball to disrupt batters’ timing. Though undersized, Meyer is an exceptional athlete and throws all his pitches for strikes with above-average control.
  
  The Future: Meyer ended the season at Triple-A and should return to the level in 2022. If he can find consistency, improve his changeup and sharpen his command, he could pitch in the middle of a rotation.
  
• October, 2021 Scouting Report
  Meyer moved into the rotation for good as a college junior in 2020, just in time for the season to be shortened by the pandemic. The Marlins liked what they saw and drafted him third overall. Meyer shined at instructional league last fall and moved fast to Double-A to make his pro debut this season. His 2.38 ERA was lowest among the handful of league qualifiers. Meyer stayed healthy and in the rotation all season, reaching Triple-A in late September when Pensacola’s season ended. His slider earned consistent plus grades for his ability to command it, if not necessarily wipeout, two-plane break. His low-90s fastball tended to play down when he missed his spots, and his changeup is merely functional. Meyer battled the strike zone early and tended to nibble and lose his delivery, but his control sharpened later in the season.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 70. Slider: 70. Changeup: 55. Control: 55
  
  TRACK RECORD: The Marlins surprised many when they chose Meyer with the third overall pick and made him the first pitcher selected in the 2020 draft. Meyer, a two-time member of USA Baseball's Collegiate National team, signed for $6.7 million—a franchise record even at $520,000 under slot value. After opening his collegiate career as a closer and recording a school-record 16 saves as a freshman, Meyer moved into Minnesota's rotation and posted 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings as a sophomore before dominating in an abbreviated junior campaign.
  SCOUTING REPORT: A natural strike-thrower with elite athleticism and explosiveness, Meyer is armed with a double-plus slider and fastball. He throws both with above-average control and a nearly effortless delivery. He throws his slider in the 92-93 mph range with excellent movement and depth. Meyer's four-seamer touched 100 mph in college and averages 95-98 with solid sink. He complements those pitches with a mid-80s changeup that has above-average potential.
  THE FUTURE: Meyer has a chance to rise quickly after showing he could hold his own against older hitters at the alternate training site. His future as a starter or reliever depends on the development of his changeup as a reliable third pitch.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 70. Slider: 70. Changeup: 55. Control: 55
  
  TRACK RECORD: The Marlins surprised many when they chose Meyer with the third overall pick and made him the first pitcher selected in the 2020 draft. Meyer, a two-time member of USA Baseball’s Collegiate National team, signed for $6.7 million—a franchise record even at $520,000 under slot value. After opening his collegiate career as a closer and recording a school-record 16 saves as a freshman, Meyer moved into Minnesota’s rotation and posted 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings as a sophomore before dominating in an abbreviated junior campaign.
  SCOUTING REPORT: A natural strike-thrower with elite athleticism and explosiveness, Meyer is armed with a double-plus slider and fastball. He throws both with above-average control and a nearly effortless delivery. He throws his slider in the 92-93 mph range with excellent movement and depth. Meyer’s four-seamer touched 100 mph in college and averages 95-98 with solid sink. He complements those pitches with a mid-80s changeup that has above-average potential.
  THE FUTURE: Meyer has a chance to rise quickly after showing he could hold his own against older hitters at the alternate training site. His future as a starter or reliever depends on the development of his changeup as a reliable third pitch.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 70. Slider: 70. Changeup: 55. Control: 55
  
  TRACK RECORD: The Marlins surprised many when they chose Meyer with the third overall pick and made him the first pitcher selected in the 2020 draft. Meyer, a two-time member of USA Baseball’s Collegiate National team, signed for $6.7 million—a franchise record even at $520,000 under slot value. After opening his collegiate career as a closer and recording a school-record 16 saves as a freshman, Meyer moved into Minnesota’s rotation and posted 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings as a sophomore before dominating in an abbreviated junior campaign.
  SCOUTING REPORT: A natural strike-thrower with elite athleticism and explosiveness, Meyer is armed with a double-plus slider and fastball. He throws both with above-average control and a nearly effortless delivery. He throws his slider in the 92-93 mph range with excellent movement and depth. Meyer’s four-seamer touched 100 mph in college and averages 95-98 with solid sink. He complements those pitches with a mid-80s changeup that has above-average potential.
  THE FUTURE: Meyer has a chance to rise quickly after showing he could hold his own against older hitters at the alternate training site. His future as a starter or reliever depends on the development of his changeup as a reliable third pitch.
• December, 2019 Scouting Report
  If you’re looking for the best pure stuff in the 2020 draft class, Meyer might be your guy. A two-time member of USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team, Meyer is a two-way player for Minnesota with a long track record of excellence on the mound. After posting a 2.06 ERA as a reliever as a freshman in 2018, Meyer successfully transitioned to starting in 2019 and posted a 2.11 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 76.2 innings (10.2 strikeouts per nine). He took over the Friday night role this spring and was rapidly ascending draft boards before the season was cut short. Meyer has two 70-grade offerings in his arsenal. He holds a mid-90s fastball deep into outings and runs it up to 97-98 mph, while his slider is the best in the 2020 draft class. Meyer's slider is not only hard, reaching 92-93 mph, but it has tremendous movement and depth and he has excellent command of it. He can loosen it for strikes or tighten it for chases out of the zone at will. Some observers have called it the best amateur slider they've ever scouted. Meyer also has a mid-80s changeup with slight tailing life and above-average potential, giving him the third pitch needed to start. Meyer is undersized at 6-foot, 185 pounds, but he holds his stuff and there’s not a disconcerting amount of effort in his delivery. He has a strong history of throwing quality strikes and is one of the more athletic pitchers to come out of the draft in recent years. Meyer draws frequent comparisons to other small but high-octane starters like Sonny Gray and Marcus Stroman. He's gone from a late-first round option to a potential top-10 pick thanks to his early-season performance.