Background: The Indians challenged Mejia with aggressive assignments at the outset of his career, and he reached full-season ball as a 19-year old in 2015. That season, he was one of just three teenagers serving as an everyday catcher in the Midwest League. He scuffled at the plate against the older competition (hitting .243/.324/.345), and he returned to low Class A Lake County to start 2016. While repeating the level, Mejia broke out. He authored a historic 50-game hitting streak that is the longest in the modern era of the minor leagues (dating to 1963). Mejia’s streak, which began in late May and stretched into August, increased his notoriety, as did a promotion to high Class A Lynchburg and an appearance in the Futures Game, where he started behind the plate for the World team. He was also a popular name as the trade deadline approached, and the Indians nearly dealt him to the Brewers in an attempt to land Jonathan Lucroy at the trade deadline, but Lucroy exercised his no-trade clause to block the move. Mejia kept hitting, even with the off-field distractions, and his .342 average ranked sixth in the minors. He also led all qualified Indians’ minor leaguers in both slugging percentage (.514) and OPS (.896).
Scouting Report: Even before the streak, Mejia has long been known for his hitting ability. The switch-hitter consistently makes hard contact from both sides of the plate. He is a more productive righthanded hitter and has more power from that side of the plate, but can also do damage as a lefthanded hitter. Like many young hitters, he previously had a more pull-oriented approach at the plate. Part of his maturation as a hitter has been to become better at handling pitches on the outer half of the plate and using the opposite field to hit. His bat speed gives him more raw power than his lean, 5-foot-10 frame would suggest, but he more typically drives balls into the gaps than over the fence. He has an aggressive approach and doesn’t walk much, but his excellent feel for the barrel prevents him from striking out often and he is comfortable working down in the count. Like most catchers, he is a below-average runner. Mejia has made strides defensively, but his bat is more advanced than his glove. Mejia has elite arm strength and soft hands, but his setup behind the plate still needs work to allow him to block balls and frame pitches more consistently. He is learning how to call games and is comfortable speaking English, a key skill for him to develop a relationship with his pitchers. Mejia often played second base as an amateur and some believe he could handle that position if he moved out from behind the plate. But he is just 21 and has the tools to become a capable defender with some further refinements.
The Future: Mejia took a big step forward in 2016, but he will need to continue to improve as he advances to the upper levels of the system. He will likely begin 2017 at Double-A Akron. If he continues to progress, he should be in line to make his major league debut sometime in 2018.
