- LHP Adalberto Mejia
- RHP Kyle Crick
- C Andrew Susac
- RHP Tyler Beede
- RHP Keury Mella
- SS/2B Christian Arroyo
- LHP Steven Okert
- RHP Hunter Strickland
- RHP Clayton Blackburn
- LHP Ty Blach
1. Adalberto Mejia
Position: LHP
DOB: 06/20/1993
Height/Weight: 6’3” 195 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/L
Drafted/Acquired: International Free Agent, 2011, Dominican Republic
Previous Ranking: #2 (Org)
2014 Stats: 4.67 ERA (108 IP, 119 H, 82 K, 31 BB) at Double-A Richmond
The Tools: 5+ FB; 6 potential CH; 5+ potential SL
What Happened in 2014: Mejia logged 108 Double-A innings, around 60 percent of them as a 20-year-old, averaging around five innings per start and showing good feel for three potential above-average to plus major-league offerings.
Strengths: Loose and easy arm; big and sturdy frame; all three offerings play in the zone; shows comfort mixing offerings in different game situations; can create tough angles, particularly with changeup against righty bats and slider against lefties; fastball is low 90s offering with arm-side action and some late giddy-up; low- to mid-80s slider can play at different depths; changeup has deception at best and turns over with late screwball action; good control at present and projects to good command down the line.
Weaknesses: Command can play soft; arm slot will leave fastball flat up in the zone and will keep slider on swing planes; arm can drag, forcing ball up; will spin off finish, impacting precision of execution; some “soft body” concerns, particularly in lower half; mechanics are smooth but require further refinement and uniformity for command and execution to take next step; doesn’t always stay on top and on line; slider and changeup both rely more on deception than snap; profile could top as a soft-contact arm at maturity rather than consistent strikeout generator; tested positive for Sibutramine and will serve 50 game suspension to start 2015 season.
Overall Future Potential: 6; no. 3 starter
Realistic Role: 5; no. 4 starter
Risk Factor/Injury History: Moderate; young with Double-A resume but will miss developmental time in 2015.
Bret Sayre’s Fantasy Take: Despite the ballpark he's likely to call home in the future, Mejia fell off the Dynasty 101, leaving them as one of three teams without a resident this year. Mejia could top out as a decent SP4 in time, but his strikeout numbers are likely to be more in the 140-150 range and he looks unlikely to contribute in 2015 at this point.
The Year Ahead: Mejia continued his impressive march to the Bay Area with a strong 2014 showing as one of the younger arms in the Eastern League. His solid three-pitch mix continues to interest and entice evaluators, and while the overall arsenal can comfortably turn over lineups the lack of a true knockout offering regularly prevented the big-bodied lefty from putting away more advanced Double-A bats. The body is still maturing, and it’s possible Mejia sees additional growth in each of his offerings by the time he finishes filling out and firming up. While the suspension will retard the developmental progress, Mejia is young enough and advanced enough to handle the challenge without getting sidetracked. After working himself back up to speed with some low-minors tune-ups, expect Mejia to tackle the Eastern League again in hopes of tightening up the bolts on his overall game. He’s in line for a 2016 major-league debut and projects well as a solid mid-rotation arm.
Major league ETA: 2016
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