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Jenrry Mejia

Frayed Knot May 22 2009 02:33 PM

Aside from needing a penalty flag for too many Rs on the field, who is this guy? (btw, I'm going with GEN-Ree Meh-HEE-ah until told otherwise) Well, turns out he's a 19 y/o Dominican-born RHP for St. Lucie and is pitching well enough recently to show up as #11 on this week's version of BA's 'Hot List' JENRRY MEJIA Why He's Here: 1-0, 1.82, 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 SO The Scoop: Mejia is about the most unconventional prospect imaginable. He's 6-feet, tops, and weighs in at about 165 pounds. He's very athletic, though, and his action is clean, helping him regularly touch 94-96 mph. One scout this year described his offspeed pitch as a fosh change—others have dubbed it a straight change, a split or a cutter—but whatever hybrid it is, it's an out pitch. The scout also liked Mejia's curveball, though he noted that the righthander lost confidence in it and didn't use it enough. Mejia signed out of the Dominican Republic in April '07 with little fanfare, yet here he is at age 19, one of the FSL's youngest players. And the really scary part is that over his last four starts he's gone 3-0, 0.35, surrendering just three runs (one earned, and with no homers) and 16 hits in 26 innings. He struck out 19 and walked three in that span, completing eight innings of work once and seven another time, to move into second place in the FSL's ERA race at 1.82.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 03 2009 02:16 PM

http://www.metsblog.com/2009/06/03/news ... -double-a/ Mazel tov, Jenrry!

Edgy MD Jun 03 2009 02:26 PM

That first J has to be sounded as H, sez I.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 07 2009 12:19 AM

Nice little Mejia profile here, courtesy of Fangraphs' Marc Hulet. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.ph ... nrry-mejia

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 07 2009 07:58 AM

He's on the DL with a finger injury, according to the Internet.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 08 2009 09:36 AM

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: He's on the DL with a finger injury, according to the Internet. Sprained finger, back as soon as this Saturday (7/11).

Benjamin Grimm Jul 08 2009 09:38 AM

They should promote him to the Mets. He (wait for it...) can't be any worse than what they already have.

MFS62 Aug 12 2009 06:12 PM

First game back tonight - gave up 3 R in 3 IP. Later

MFS62 Aug 13 2009 09:00 AM

Some more details: Report on Mejia's start from Metsminorleagueblog. This is the exciting part of the night, except that a severely pitch-count limited Jenrry Mejia was held to three innings in his first start in just over seven weeks. Mejia walked the first two men he faced and gave up three runs on two hits in the top of the first, but settled in from there and retired the Senators in order in the second and third innings while hitting 96 on the NYSEG Stadium radar gun. Mejia’s pitches and strikes by inning per Brian Moritz at his twitter page (@psbmortiz): Inning - Pitches - Strikes - Strike % 1 - 31 - 15 - 48% 2 - 10 - 8 - 80% 3 - 10 - 7 - 70% Total - 51 - 30 - 58% Later

Frayed Knot Nov 14 2009 06:39 AM Re: Jenrry Mejia

From BA: Jenrry Mejia signed with the Mets two and a half years ago in relative anonymity. His $16,500 signing bonus looks like a clearance-aisle price today for the organization’s No. 1 prospect, a power-armed righthander who reached Double-A in June before just turning 20 last month. Pitching for Surprise yesterday after missing his last scheduled start due to illness, Mejia touched 96 mph with his fastball once, otherwise ranging from 90-95 mph and mostly sitting 92-95 (he’s been clocked as high as 98 mph in previous outings here in the AFL and during the minor league season). His fastball is a swing-and-miss offering, not just because of its velocity but because of its outstanding movement. Mejia generates tremendous cutting action on his fastball, and he’ll also put some sink on his heater as well. Between the velocity and movement, Mejia has a pitch he can use as an out pitch or to induce grounders—71 percent of his outs on balls in play were groundouts during the minor league season. “It has a lot of power—it gets on you quick,” said Surprise pitching coach Tom Phelps, the Yankees’ Double-A pitching coach at Trenton during the 2009 minor league season. “He has a fastball that will cut, and he also has a fastball that will sink. As long as he keeps it down in the zone, he gets a lot of ground balls and a lot of early outs and quick innings. The big thing for him is controlling it in the zone and not getting behind hitters and walking hitters.” Mejia did a good job limiting free passes during the regular season with high Class A St. Lucie, where he had a 1.97 ERA in 50 1/3 innings and walked 2.9 batters per nine innings. His walk rate increased to 4.7 per nine in 44 1/3 innings upon his promotion to Double-A Binghamton, an increase partly due to better competition but also likely because six of his 10 Double-A starts came in August and September when he was returning from a strained right middle finger. The shakiness with his command has carried over to the AFL. He’s allowed 11 walks in 11 1/3 innings and has an 11.91 ERA through five starts. Mejia did allow five runs yesterday, though one was unearned. Two other runs scored after Mejia left the game with two outs and runners on second and third in the fourth inning, when White Sox outfielder Jordan Danks hit a groundball single off Mets righthander Josh Stinson to bring home the runners. Aside from improved command, scouts want to see more consistency from Mejia’s offspeed pitches. His 78-82 mph curveball showed flashes of tight spin and sharp downward bite at times, but he also threw some slurvy ones as well. Mejia didn’t show much of his high-80s changeup, but it’s a projectable offering, too. “When he just throws it and doesn’t try to overthrow it, he’s got a good curveball,” Phelps said. “It looks like his heater, he’s got good deception and it’s got some quick break to it. Also his better secondary pitch is his changeup. His changeup has a lot of depth, has real good arm speed and looks like his fastball. He’s got the pitches to complement (his fastball), it’s just a matter of him being able to control it in the zone and keeping it down in the zone.”

Frayed Knot Jan 30 2010 01:38 PM Re: Jenrry Mejia

#23 on Keith Law's top 100 prospects list: Mejia entered 2009 with no experience above short-season leagues, but finished it in Double-A despite missing time in the middle of the year with a strained finger on his pitching hand. He has top-of-the-rotation stuff, but is just 20 with the command you'd expect to see in a live-armed teenager with barely 200 innings in pro ball. His fastball sits at 93-96 and will tick higher, and the ball sometimes shows natural cutting action toward left-handed hitters. His changeup is his best off-speed pitch and, at 85-87 mph with good tail, looks like a soft two-seamer. His curveball is very inconsistent, but at its best, it's plus with good two-plane break and depth in the upper 70s. He's thick but not tall, and his slot is just below 3/4 -- so he has to work on staying on top of the ball, and the finger injury reduced his already below-average command. That said, he's 20 and has shown he can get advanced hitters in Double-A out. If the Mets slow him down a little and let him spend all of 2010 (and maybe some of 2011) in the minors to improve his command and the consistency of his changeup and curve, they have a chance for a No. 1 or No. 2 starter.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 03 2010 07:15 AM Re: Jenrry Mejia

Article in the Daily News today advancing the Mariano Rivera comparisons. This time it's from Darryl Strawberry, who says he's pushing Omar to have Jenrry make the team this year, and sees him as a closer. (It's not clear whether Darryl is saying he should be a closer this year, bumping Frankie Rodriguez.) And maybe that is the best future for him, but if so I'll be a bit disappointed. If he's as good as they say he is (and the jury is still out on that, of course) I want him to be a starter. I'd rather have a Dwight Gooden (or even a Ron Darling) than a Mariano Rivera.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 03 2010 02:14 PM Re: Jenrry Mejia

If I'm a Met FO guy, and I'm really concerned with Mejia's maximizing his development, I'm hiding him from all the major-league level guys right now.

Frayed Knot Mar 03 2010 02:25 PM Re: Jenrry Mejia

And while it's good to have Straw back in the family and as a face in ST, it's also good that he's only going to be around for a week or so.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 08 2010 11:35 AM Re: Jenrry Mejia

Omar says a lot of things, but, well... General manager Omar Minaya said Monday that the plan going into camp was for Mejia, 20, to begin the season as a starter at Double-A Binghamton. And despite Manuel's comments, that plan has not changed. Minaya left the door open for Mejia to change the team's thinking over the next few weeks, but the Mets will be reluctant to rush him.

Ceetar Mar 08 2010 11:53 AM Re: Jenrry Mejia

"And despite Manuel's comments" Why do I feel like this is too common a phrase? Why does it seem like Omar spends half of every discussion clarifying, explaining, or correcting something Jerry has said? If you can't get Manuel to shut up and be on the same page as the organization, why is he here?

Benjamin Grimm Mar 08 2010 12:04 PM Re: Jenrry Mejia

Has anyone run a similarity score on Jerry Manuel and Joe Biden?

Ceetar May 26 2010 11:43 AM Re: Jenrry Mejia

I heard somewhere, I think in WFAN pregame, that Mejia is learning English with the help of Family Guy. as recommended by one of his teammates.

themetfairy Aug 07 2010 10:36 PM Re: Jenrry Mejia

Off the DL, Jenrry is working on being a starting pitcher with the B-Mets. Tonight he went 4.1 innings, giving up no runs, 3 hits and two walks while striking out four. He was pulled due to his pitch count (Binghamton was up 4-0 at the time. Eddie Kunz stranded Jenrry's inherited runner).

MFS62 Aug 25 2010 10:36 AM Re: Jenrry Mejia

Last night: 7 IP, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 0 HR, 10-6 GB-FB, his AA ERA is now 1.32. It was a 7 inning complete game (second game of a double header). Later

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 25 2010 11:49 AM Re: Jenrry Mejia

Two shutout stints in a row. One would like to see the walks come down a bit, ideally... but, well, he's running roughshod over AA hitters, and he's still not legal drinking age.

MFS62 Aug 28 2010 01:16 PM Re: Jenrry Mejia

Heard on the Bisons game last night he has been promoted to Buffalo, will be starting Monday. Later

MFS62 Aug 31 2010 09:51 AM Re: Jenrry Mejia

Last night's start, his first in AAA: 8 IP, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 1 HR, 10-2 GB-FB, 1.13 ERA And a no decision. Later

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 31 2010 02:59 PM Re: Jenrry Mejia

Video of a postgame interview from last evening with young Jank.

smg58 Aug 31 2010 03:46 PM Re: Jenrry Mejia

MFS62 wrote: Last night's start, his first in AAA: 8 IP, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 1 HR, 10-2 GB-FB, 1.13 ERA Impressive. And a no decision. So he'd fit right in!

Edgy MD Aug 31 2010 05:35 PM Re: Jenrry Mejia

There's already editorials out there crying for the Mets to not call him up lest he be damaged by the losing atmosphere.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 31 2010 08:47 PM Re: Jenrry Mejia

I have a few minor concerns about a September "audition"... but it's more that a successful/semi-successful 2-3 starts might translate, via Met FO interpreters, into a guaranteed/semi-guaranteed starting rotation slot, when he's yet to dominate a single level of the minors for more than a month or two.

Ceetar May 02 2011 01:44 PM Re: Jenrry Mejia

and MCL goes boom. sad. surgery recommended.

Edgy MD May 02 2011 01:47 PM Re: Jenrry Mejia

Flurb.