Alex Meyer

Meyer suffered a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder last season, and after undergoing surgery in September, he'll miss the entire 2018 season. The major injury was a disappointing turn of events for the former first-round pick, whose 13-start run with the Angels included career-best ERA (3.74) and WHIP (1.34) marks. Beware, however, that Meyer's success in 2017 was still accompanied by a 5.6 BB/9. If everything goes as planned with his rehab, he could be completely healthy entering spring training in 2019. The Angels will likely put him on the 60-day DL at their first opportunity, and evaluate his progress after the season to determine if he will be a part of their future plans.

The towering right-hander pitched his way out of Minnesota, landing with the Angels in a deadline trade. Meyer was given a five-start audition in the rotation over the final month, and although the results weren't spectacular, they were decent, and that alone represents progress for the former first-round pick. A lack of control limited his effectiveness, but Meyer continued to miss bats at a good clip while working as a starter (10.0 K/9) as he incorporated his changeup more often to keep hitters off balance. His FIP with Anaheim was under 4.00 despite a hard-hit rate north of 43 percent. If he can induce more weak contact and improve his control even slightly, Meyer could become a regular in an Angels rotation seemingly open at the back end. Meyer won't cost anything in drafts, and thus there's little downside in the AL-only endgame.

Meyer entered 2015 as Minnesota's top pitching prospect and was seen as a possible ace in the rotation, but he had an up-and-down year that leaves his role in the organization unclear. He struggled early in the season at Triple-A with a 7.09 ERA and 24 walks in 39.1 innings and was moved to the bullpen. It looked like a big step backward, but Meyer excelled in relief with a 0.53 ERA and 29:6 BB:K in 17 innings before he was called up to the majors. He struggled in his first trip to the big leagues by allowing five earned runs in 2.2 innings with a 3:3 K:BB ratio, but rebounded with a 3.68 ERA and 10.2 K/9 over the final two months at Triple-A. It looks like Meyer's move to the bullpen may be permanent; while that may hurt his fantasy value, he could still become a key member of the big league bullpen thanks to a mid-90s fastball. He'll try to win a setup role in the bullpen this spring.

Meyer enters 2015 as Minnesota's top pitching prospect and will contend for spot in the rotation in spring training. A 2011 first-round draft pick traded to Minnesota for Denard Span in 2012, Meyer is imposing (6-9, 220) and throws a mid-90s fastball. He had a strong season at Triple-A with a 3.52 ERA, a 10.6 K/9 and 45.3% groundball rate. He did miss the final few weeks of the season with right shoulder inflammation, but it's not expected to be an issue by spring training. Meyer does need to reduce his walks (4.4 BB/9) and he has been inconsistent. Still, his strong velocity is much needed on Minnesota's staff and he'll likely get a shot at the big league rotation early in 2015 even if doesn't win the job in April.

Meyer enters 2014 as Minnesota's top pitching prospect and could contend for a big league job early next season. A 2011 first-round draft pick traded to Minnesota for Denard Span before last season, Meyer wasn't overly impressive at High-A in 2012. He erased any doubts with a strong showing at Double-A New Britain where he had a 3.63 ERA and 73:27 K:BB ratio in 62 innings before coming down with a sore shoulder on June 1. He returned in August to throw 10 scoreless innings and reached 100 mph on the radar gun. He then had an impressive showing in the Arizona Fall League with a 3.12 ERA and blistering 28:7 K:BB ratio in 26 innings. His strong AFL showing should erase any injury concerns and could put him in position to contend for a spot in the Minnesota starting rotation during spring training. However, he more likely begins the season in the minors and gets called up later in the year, as the Twins are typically deliberate in promoting prospects. Whenever he arrives, he looks like Minnesota's future ace at this point and is a top pitcher to grab in keeper leagues.

The 2011 first-round pick can certainly look the part of a future ace, hitting the high-90s with his fastball, flashing a plus slider and showing improvement with his changeup since he left college. His mechanics are still all over the place, which is no surprise for a kid who is 6-foot-9. Until he develops some consistency with his delivery, it is hard to even project him as a useful bullpen arm in the majors. He is a high-risk, high-reward type, and while an offseason trade to the Twins gives him a clearer path to the majors than he had in Washington, Meyer is not someone you should count on to make a quick impact. He'll likely begin the season at Double-A New Britain and could figure into Minnesota's plans in 2014.

Meyer was a first-round pick (23rd overall) in 2011 for the Nationals. At 6-foot-9, he has a lot of moving parts to his delivery, but he features a fastball that clocks in routinely from 93-96 mph and some scouts have seen him top out at 99 mph. He also features a strong slider (84-87 mph), and change-up that is a work in progress. Command continues to be a problem, but there is no doubt that Meyer has front of the rotation kind of stuff if he can limit the free passes.