Melvin Mercedes
| IP | 2 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 0 |
| WHIP | 0 |
| BB/9 | 0 |
| SO/9 | 9 |
- Full name Melvin Mercedes
- Born 11/02/1990 in El Seibo, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 250 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- Debut 08/15/2014
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The heavily-built Mercedes had a mediocre season pitching at Triple-A Toledo in 2014, but on Aug. 15 he went six up, six down in two scoreless innings in his major league debut against the Mariners, then returned to Toledo to finish the season. Mercedes is a sinker/slider pitcher who relies heavily on the former, a plus pitch at 93-96 mph that helps him get groundballs. There are times when he will flash a solid-average slider, but it comes and goes because he doesn't stay on top of the ball consistently. His strikeout rate dipped to 4.6 batters per nine innings in 2014, which is in part a reflection of his lack of an out pitch. He got in trouble at times in Triple-A when he went nearly exclusively to the sinker at the expense of his secondary pitches, which made him too predictable. Mercedes has violence and recoil in his mechanics, but he throws strikes consistently and works down in the zone. If he can bring along his slider, he could stick around as a middle reliever, though he's probably heading back to Triple-A in 2015. -
Mercedes hasn't started a game since the Tigers signed him for $200,000 out of the Dominican Republic in March 2008. He ran his fastball up to 94 mph as a 17-year-old, and he has seen his velocity jump since then to 93-99 with plus life. His high-80s slider usually is an average pitch with short break, though it will show flashes of being a plus pitch. He still needs to sharpen his fastball command, but his control has been improving, and he walked just 2.4 batters per nine innings in 2013. In spite of his fastball, Mercedes doesn't strike out many hitters. Improving his slider would help, but his long arm action allows hitters to pick up the ball out of his hand early. He had Tommy John surgery in 2010 and has a lot of effort in his delivery, recoiling after he delivers the ball, which puts extra stress on his arm. He has a hefty build, so some scouts would like to see him improve his conditioning. After a strong 2013 campaign, Mercedes should make his major league debut in 2014. He has high-leverage potential if he can figure out a way to miss more bats. -
Mercedes reminds the Tigers of Bruce Rondon because of his size, stuff and fearlessness. Another pitcher approaching 300 pounds, Mercedes intimidates hitters with his 93-98 mph fastball. His heater shows sink when he throws down in the zone, and he can elevate it and blow it by hitters too. Mercedes throws his short slider in the upper 80s. It's a fringy pitch that occasionally shows the potential to be an above-average offering, but it hasn't progressed much over the past few years. Mercedes had Tommy John surgery in 2010 and pitches with well below-average command. He has an aggressive delivery with a fast arm. He has the stuff to be a dominant set-up man if he can improve his control and develop a complement to his fastall. Added to Detroit's 40-man roster in November, he'll spend 2013 in high Class A. -
Mercedes is a behemoth who gained about 50 pounds in the first year after he signed, though it looks like he'll be able to carry that amount of weight. He led the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League with 26 appearances and 16 saves in his U.S. debut last season. Mercedes throws a heavy fastball that parks at 92-93 mph and peaks at 95. He also throws a true slider in the low 80s. At times it has good tilt and misses bats, but at others it just spins without much break. Mercedes still is working to learn a changeup and almost never throws it in games at this point. Because his control is erratic, his outings tend to be interesting. Mercedes has the resilience to pitch on consecutive days and recover quickly from bad performances. If he can do a better job of throwing strikes and locating his pitches, he has a future as a late-inning reliever. He's ticketed to return to low Class A after getting a cameo there to finish 2009.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Mercedes led the GCL with 16 saves in 19 opportunities despite battling some command issues that made things interesting. He worked with two potential plus pitches, a heavy 92-93 mph fastball that touches 95 and a true slider with depth and tilt. Mercedes had the resilience to pitch on consecutive days and recover quickly from bad outings. If he can do a better job of throwing strikes and locating his pitches, he has a future as a late-inning reliever.
