Seattle Mariners MLB Draft Prospect Profile: Max Meyer

The NFL Draft is underway, which made me think about the upcoming MLB Draft. The Mariners hold the 6th pick and will have a lot of options to pick from, including a small RHP with a big fastball.

We have profiled most of the consensus Top 10 picks in regards to the Mariners, from Austin Martin to Garrett Crochet. But one name we haven’t discussed who has been steadily climbing up draft boards is University of Minnesota right-handed pitcher, Max Meyer.

Meyer has a unique profile. He stands at just 6’0″, 185 lbs but perhaps the best fastball in the draft. Some scouts affix an 80-grade to the offering that sits in the 94-97 MPH and he has touched 100 MPH once. The pitch does offering some ride, helping it play even better than it’s velocity suggests.

But Meyer isn’t just a flamethrowing project. He also possesses a double-plus slider that also has 80-grade potential. To call it a “wipeout” slider is an understatement. The pitch sits in the upper-80s with plus break. Meyer can manipulate the pitch to make it more of a slurve or firm it up to be more of a cutter, making it a great weapon.

In addition to the two elite offerings, Meyer also has an above-average changeup that is thrown with good arm speed and solid fade. Meyer can throw all 3 pitches for strikes, giving him the arsenal and control of a true #1 starter.

Meyer’s biggest mark against him is his size. His slight frame will cause many front offices to pause as his stature doesn’t typically lend itself to longevity. This will cause teams to mark him as an injury risk.

But Meyer has a clean delivery and is a good athlete, which should mitigate most concerns. Meyer can challenge Emerson Hancock as having the best arsenal in the class. Meyer could continue to rise all the way to the top pick but will likely be a serious candidate to be sitting at 6 where the Mariners pick.

Short power pitchers don’t typically stick around long. But as Tim Lincecum and Pedro Martinez have shown us, being short doesn’t mean you can’t succeed in Major League Baseball.