Evan Meek
| IP | 196 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.628 |
| WHIP | 1.357 |
| BB/9 | 4.638 |
| SO/9 | 7.347 |
- Full name Evan David Meek
- Born 05/12/1983 in Bellevue, WA
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Bellevue College
- Debut 04/02/2008
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Drafted in the 11th round (332nd overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2002.
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Meek has a tightly wound body and a lightning-bolt arm. He came out of the gate throwing 95 mph this spring and tried to keep up that pace this spring to impress scouts. But more often his velocity was in the 91-92 range. Meek throws from a three-quarters angle and gets good sink on his fastball, especially at the lower velocity. He projects more as a closer because he has not developed reliable secondary pitches. He has a below-average breaking ball and lacks confidence in it. Meek projects as a third- to fifth-round pick and has little signing leverage because he has few college options.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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The Pirates selected Meek from the Rays in the major league Rule 5 draft following the 2007 season, and he made their Opening Day roster last season. He struggled to get major league hitters out, but Pittsburgh was able to send him back to the minors and keep him by working out a cash deal with Tampa Bay. Meek is well-traveled, having also spent time in the Twins and Padres organizations, but still has upside. He features a sinking fastball that sits at 91-93 mph and touches 96. It enables him to continually get hitters to beat the ball into the ground. Control long has been Meek's problem, particularly with his slider and splitter, and it hampered him in the majors last season because hitters wouldn't chase his secondary pitches. Meek's delivery has a lot of moving parts, which causes concern because of the stress it puts on his arm. He's also excitable and fights to control his emotions on the mound. Meek showed enough raw ability last season that he'll get another shot at making the Pirates in spring training, and he has a good chance of winning a job as a middle man. -
The Pirates took Meek with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 major league Rule 5 draft, making them his fourth organization in four years since he signed with the Twins as a draft-and-follow in 2003. Minnesota released him in mid-2005 after his control and attitude deteriorated, and the Padres signed him. San Diego then sent him to the Devil Rays in a deal for Russell Branyan in August 2006. Now Pittsburgh will see if he can crack their big league bullpen in 2008. If not, they have to place him on waivers and offer him back to the Devil Rays for half his $50,000 draft price before they can send him to the minors. Using a low-90s fastball that has good sink and run, Meek picks up strikeouts and groundballs. He has been clocked as high as 97 mph, but he loses command and life when he overthrows. His splitter complements his fastball well, and he'll also mix in some sliders. He has made some progress with his control and command but still suffers through bouts of wildness. Bothered by shoulder stiffness early, Meek finished strong with a 1.45 ERA in the season's final month and a 0.93 ERA in the Arizona Fall League. -
The Padres will try to give Meek a fresh start after he lost his command and was released by the Twins last season. He was a priority draft-and-follow coming out of the 2002 draft for Minnesota, and he signed for $180,000 the next May. Shortly before turning pro, he turned in a no-hitter and a one-hitter in consecutive playoff starts for Bellevue (Wash.) Community College. Meek was outstanding in his pro debut at Elizabethton but came down with a case of the yips in 2004, as his control disappeared and his velocity dropped. Things got worse in 2005, and Minnesota released him after 18 miserable innings in low Class A. Padres pro scout Charley Kerfeld, who lives near Meek in the Seattle area, signed him after one look at his lively arm in a private workout. Meek returned to the mound in instructional league and was once again throwing strikes and touching 97 mph with his fastball. The Padres tinkered with his mechanics to allow his free-working arm to do its job. He's still primarily a one-pitch pitcher, though. He hasn't regained the confidence or command of his power curveball, which once was a dominant swing-and-miss pitch. Meek still has to prove he's beyond the mental lapses that led to his demise with the Twins. His ability to throw strikes in spring training will determine his 2006 destination. -
Meek was one of 10 Twins draft picks left unsigned from the first 20 rounds of the 2002 draft. Of that group, catcher Jeff Clement (now at Southern California), lefthander Ryan Schreppel (Cal State Fullerton) and righthander Mark Sauls (Florida State) all project as potential first-rounders in the class of 2005. Meek, however, signed as a draft-and-follow for $180,000 after going 5-4, 1.67 with 95 strikeouts in 65 innings for Bellevue (Wash.) CC. He has added 25 pounds to his strong, durable frame since his senior year of high school. He draws comparisons to J.D. Durbin for his frame and his aggressive mound presence, and Meek's two-pitch power arsenal reminds Twins scouts of Jesse Crain. Meek consistently throws his fastball between 90-96 mph with running movement and features a put-away curveball with good late snap. His changeup flashes the makings of a solid third pitch. Meek has to improve his overall feel for pitching, including his command and control. As soon as he can address those weaknesses, he can move into the upper echelon in the Twins organization. For now, he'll jump into the low Class A rotation.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Meek's development was one of the more pleasant surprises in the Twins system this year. An 11th-round pick in 2002 who signed in May as a draft-and-follow, he had the best combination of arm strength and feel for pitching in the league. Meek usually pitched at 92 mph and reached 96. There's some effort to his delivery, so his control isn't consistent. At 6 feet, he throws on a flat plane, so improving his breaking ball is a must. "It's all about becoming more consistent with his command," Smith said. "Once he does that, he could go places."
