Miami Marlins draft pick takes the mound for the first time

Max Meyer, the first-round draft pick of the Miami Marlins, showed off his fastball on Tuesday as he took the mound for the first time in Jupiter, Florida.

The Miami Marlins got a glimpse of their future this week when Max Meyer, the team’s first-round draft pick took the mound for the first time in a team uniform on Tuesday. Meyer, who pitched for the University of Minnesota, was added to the team’s 60-man talent pool once he agreed to terms with the organization.

As Meyer told MLB.com, the biggest thing for him was to keep his emotions in check while taking the bump.

“Definitely, the juices were flowing a little, being the first time back on the mound, especially in a Marlins uniform,” Meyer said during a Zoom call via MLB.com. “It was pretty special.”

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Meyer’s session was just 20 pitches – which consisted of fastballs and a few changeups. It might not have seemed like much, but it was an indication the Marlins are still a team looking to build through the minor league system and through young pitching.

“I just kind of did the same thing I have been doing my whole life,” he said. “Just get out there, stretch and throw normally.”

How soon Meyer makes his Major League debut isn’t known yet, however, he could see action this season as the Marlins added him to the talent pool with the belief he is close to being MLB-ready. And if he does make an appearance this coming season, it may be as a reliever out of the bullpen.

For now, Meyer is working out with other prospects at the Miami Marlins training facility in Jupiter, Florida. The main roster candidates are taking their talents to Marlins Park in preparation for the start of the season in Philadelphia, which begins on July 24.

Because the Miami Marlins have a surplus of pitching talent in the minors – that starts with top prospect Sixto Sanchez and Edward Cabrera, the role Meyer plays in the future of this organization may be undefined at the moment. There was a discussion when he was drafted by the national media if he was going to be a rotation piece or would he eventually find his way to the bullpen as a stalwart in late innings.

The Marlins front office insists they drafted him with the intention of him becoming one of the starting five of the future.

“Many factors would have to fall in place for Meyer to make a leap to the big leagues,” Joe Frisaro writes. “Basically, Miami would have to be in contention and Meyer would have to show the organization he is ready. The way Meyer is approaching his opportunity is to be prepared for anything.”

For now, however, this just might be a case of the team giving Meyer an opportunity to continue to develop this season with other top prospects and then make a decision on where he will play in 2021.