Meyer's gem signals potential breakout on horizon

[Nate Karzmer]

Another start, another brilliant outing from Max Meyer, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

Almost a full year ago on April 15, 2024, Marlins starter Max Meyer was sent down to Triple-A in a stunning move.

Two days prior, Meyer tossed six innings of one-run ball and earned a win over the Braves, continuing a phenomenal start to his 2024 season. At the time of his demotion, the then 25-year-old carried a 2.12 ERA and picked up two wins, a stat that is particularly relevant because…the team only had three in total. Halfway into April.

Meyer wouldn’t return to the bigs until July, where the remainder of his starts from then on were up and down, generating concern and even more questions as to why the front office would halt the former third overall pick's enticing progress in the first place.

Fast forward 359 days and now three starts into his 2025 campaign, Meyer is one-upping himself.

Coming off a six-inning, three-earned run start last Friday that got overshadowed by a blowup performance from his bullpen, Meyer took the mound on a chilly day at Citi Field against another division rival, the Mets on Wednesday afternoon.

With his ballclub looking to avoid a sweep and get back to .500, Max delivered, and then some.

A lineup that racked up 10 runs in the previous game was held hitless by Meyer through five innings. He finished his day allowing just two before being pulled with one out in the seventh—that made it the longest start by any Marlins pitcher so far in 2025. With a steady dose of offense, good outings from the relievers behind him and a jaw-dropping catch from Dane Myers to put a bow on it, the Marlins salvaged the series and shut out New York, 5-0.

“It was a terrific start for him. To be as effective as he was, efficient like that, to get us really deep into that game, (he) kept giving us cracks at it to get on the scoreboard” said manager Clayton McCullough following the game. “On a day where it’s nice to come here and get a win and get back home, that was just what the doctor ordered. That was a great start.”

Meyer, as he usually does, relied on his infamous slider, throwing the pitch 41% of the time. The wipeout pitch picked up five of Meyer’s nine whiffs. Besides that, he used his four-seamer and sinker a combined 48%, showing great command of both pitches, even if his velocity was a tick down from his last start.

The third-year starter now owns a 2.00 ERA through three starts, and this time around, there's no concern about him being sent down. If Meyer can show poise and command like he did against one of the most talented lineups in baseball, there’s serious reason to believe that 2025 could be the breakout year Miami has been waiting for.

 

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As McCullough mentioned, Meyer gave his offense plenty of opportunities to score against Tylor Megill, and the heart of the order capitalized in the fifth and the ninth for insurance.

Singles from Matt Mervis and Nick Fortes gave Miami a 2-0 lead halfway through before impressive at-bats up and down the order against Edwin Díaz in the ninth pushed across three more.

It was Mervis coming up big again in the ninth with his third homer in four games, a two-run wall scraper that just carried out.

“Anytime you can add to the lead in the ninth inning against one of the game's best closers, I think I naturally get amped up a little bit. So just felt good to execute and score some runs” Mervis noted.

With the two-RBI day, Mervis ties Otto Lopez with a team-leading seven RBI’s on the season.

“I think we're maybe earlier on some of those pitches where he was fouling off or just missing” added McCullough. “He's moving them forward now, so I think he's still finding the right pitches, and he's getting some that he's getting to and ending in the at-bat on some pitches that he can drive”.

 

Of Note

- Myers’ catch in the ninth was another installment of Marlins outfielders making spectacular plays just two weeks into the season.

- Xavier Edwards finished his strong series back home in New York with another hit and two walks.

- Just before Mervis’ homer, Jonah Bride, who got the chance to hit in the three-hole even while amid a 2-for-28 slump, came through with a frozen-rope single through to the opposite field. It was Bride’s first RBI of 2025.

 

Up Next

Miami begins their second homestand of the year this weekend against the Nationals. The Marlins have yet to announce a starter for Friday night’s contest at 7:10 pm.

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[Leo Armbrister]

The Marlins would gain a lot of credibility with the fans if they sign Meyer to a long term contrract this year if he continues to show this kind of effectiveness. They should also keep Sandy. Starting pitching is the key to winning games and you can't have to much of it. You have to start building the team at some point instead of giving our good players to the Yankees or whoever for their unporven prospects.

[One Regend]

5 minutes ago, Leo Armbrister said:

The Marlins would gain a lot of credibility with the fans if they sign Meyer to a long term contrract this year if he continues to show this kind of effectiveness. They should also keep Sandy. Starting pitching is the key to winning games and you can't have to much of it. You have to start building the team at some point instead of giving our good players to the Yankees or whoever for their unporven prospects.

They also have to actually develop their hitting prospects. Having a killer rotation won't win you jack if the major league lineup can't hit and there's nothing in the farm system that will fix that.

[Ely Sussman]

2 hours ago, One Regend said:

They also have to actually develop their hitting prospects. Having a killer rotation won't win you jack if the major league lineup can't hit and there's nothing in the farm system that will fix that.

Yes, there is no light at the end of the tunnel until a truly great hitter emerges. Agustin Ramirez has a chance to be that guy.