Atlanta Braves starting pitching prospect Ian Mejia followed up his worst outing of the season, when he allowed five earned runs in just 1 1/3 innings, with a seven-inning scoreless gem on Thursday. He allowed just three hits and struck out three batters. This recent performance now marks the fifth start this season where Mejia did not surrender an earned run. Through 49 2/3 innings with Double-A Mississippi, the former 11th-round selection has posted career-highs with a 1.45 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and a 17:57 BB:K. While Mejia's blowup start did occur in his Triple-A debut, he has looked dominant at the Double-A level and should be given another opportunity in Triple-A later this summer. Mejia will become a name to monitor in dynasty leagues when he gets an extended opportunity with Triple-A Gwinnett.
Atlanta Braves pitching prospect Ian Mejia was a diamond in the rough of sorts, landing with the club as an 11th-round pick back in 2022. He has maintained low walk rates and decent strikeout rates throughout his first few seasons of pro ball but has noticeably allowed too much loud contact, including home runs. In order to climb the ranks and reach the majors, Mejia will need to keep hitters away from doing real damage, much like he has done through a small sample size so far in 2024. Last week, he continued to show promise, tossing a seven-inning no-hitter. He hit one batter and walked two, and he also struck out a whopping 11 batters. Fantasy managers would be wise to keep tabs on Mejia moving forward.
Ian Mejia Strikes Out 11 Across Seven No-Hit Innings
Atlanta Braves starting pitching prospect Ian Mejia tossed a seven-inning no-hitter on Friday with just two free passes. He struck out a season-high of 11 batters. This outstanding performance brings him to a clean 4-0 record with a 1.69 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and a 54:17 K:BB through 42 2/3 innings. After allowing four earned runs in his first start of the season, Mejia has only allowed four total runs in his past 41 innings pitched. The former 11th-round selection has logged 121 innings at High-A to the tune of a 4.68 ERA and 1.36 WHIP, which has halted his progression through the Atlanta pipeline, but he is now showing strong development and looks to be back on track. Dynasty managers should expect the Braves to remain cautious with Mejia, but he is worth monitoring, as he could debut in Triple-A later this summer.
