Noble Meyer's Slide in MLB Pipeline Rankings: Falls 22 Spots, Tied for Second Most Among Prospects

For an organization counting on pitching to shape its future, a drop in prospect rankings can feel like a red flag. When the Miami Marlins' top pitching prospect, Noble Meyer, slipped 22 spots in the latest MLB Pipeline Top 100––from No. 76 to No. 98––it raised eyebrows among fans and baseball experts alike.

The 2023 first-round pick out of Oregon entered the 2024 season with buzz, ranked No. 57 in the preseason Top 100 thanks to his mid-90s fastball, wipeout slider, and devastating changeup. Meyer made a strong impression at Single-A Jupiter, putting up a 2.65 ERA in his first nine starts with 51 strikeouts in 37.1 innings. That performance earned him a promotion to High-A Beloit and a spot in the MLB Futures Game.

But after the promotion, Meyer hit a wall. Over 11 starts at High-A, his ERA ballooned to 5.18, and he struggled with control–issuing 29 walks in just 48.2 innings, leading to a 1.43 WHIP and a concerning 17.9% walk rate. Those numbers reflect more than just growing pains.

Though Meyer was never placed on the IL, it was clear that something was bothering him during his time in Beloit.

"I ended up hurting something in my lower back. It caused little issues with my leg, specifically my back leg and it kind of just leaked into the rest of the year," Meyer said. "It caused a little discomfort and a mechanical change, something I tweaked along the way and I kind of lost my feel for the zone. I spent all offseason working on that and it’s been amazing so far." (Fish on First/Alex Carver)

He's still only 20 years old, and the Marlins remain high on his long-term upside. Reports out of 2025 Spring Training suggested that he's healthy again and had been working on a refined slider grip while tightening up his command a little bit. Early in the 2025 season at Beloit, he's shown signs of improvement, including a notable uptick in strikeout-to-walk ratio.

"My overarching goal would be to prove that last year was a fluke," Meyer told Fish on First.

But Meyer's transition to 2025 hasn't been as smooth. Through his first five starts of the season, he's posted a 7.13 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 17.2 innings—a stretch marked by command issues and a WHIP nearing 1.75. The strikeout numbers suggest the raw stuff is still there, but inconsistency has limited his effectiveness.

His early 2025 stumbles may explain the slide in the rankings, but his tools remain appealing. If he can regain command and adjust to advanced hitters, he still projects as a potential front-line starter. The Marlins' rebuild isn’t hinging on one arm, but Meyer's development could be a bellwether for how quickly their next wave of pitching prospects takes hold.