Andy Clayton-King/Associated Press
The Miami Marlins selected Minnesota pitcher Max Meyer with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft on Wednesday.
According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Meyer and the Marlins have already struck a deal:
Meyer, 21, went 3-1 with a 1.95 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 46 strikeouts in 27.2 innings during the truncated college baseball season.
He is the highest-drafted pitcher in Minnesota history and joins Paul Molitor (No. 3 pick in 1977) as the Gophers’ highest-drafted players regardless of position. No Minnesota player had been taken in the top 10 since Dan Wilson in 1990.
Glen Perkins, who was taken No. 22 overall in 2004, was previously the highest-drafted pitcher in Minnesota history.
“I like to tell them that they’re getting a winner,” Meyer said of what he told teams coming into the draft, per Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press. “I feel like I’m competitive and confident enough to succeed at the next level. I just trust my abilities. I’m going to be the same pitcher in pro ball that I am in college and I was in high school.”
Meyer was MLB.com’s ninth-rated prospect in the 2020 draft class. His fastball and slider were given 70 grades, but he was given only a 55 overall—thanks in large part to questions over his lean frame (6’0″, 185 pounds).
Despite questions about his size, Meyer has a fastball that is regularly in the mid-to-high 90s and by far the best slider in this class.
