Former third overall pick Max Meyer delivered a historic performance Monday night at loanDepot park, striking out a career-high 14 batters to lead the Miami Marlins to a series-opening victory against the Cincinnati Reds, 6-3.
Meyer, who has now recorded four consecutive quality starts, was dominant across six shutout innings. The 26-year-old right-hander allowed just five hits, issued no walks, and tallied 14 strikeouts — the most by any pitcher in Major League Baseball so far this season.
“He was gross,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said postgame. “That’s a good offensive club, and you could tell he was in control right from the beginning. I couldn’t think of a better start.”
Meyer joined elite company with the performance, becoming just the second pitcher in MLB history to record 14 or more strikeouts with zero walks in a start of six innings or fewer — joining Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, who last achieved the feat in 2001. He also became the first Marlin since the late Jose Fernández to record 10 strikeouts through the first four innings of a game.
“It was obviously a special start for me,” Meyer told reporters. “You maybe have five starts a year where everything feels right and it’s all clicking, where every pitch is doing exactly what you want it to. So I hope to study video and keep trying to do that every single game,” the right-hander told reporters postgame.
Selected third overall in the 2020 MLB Draft, Meyer was initially projected by many as a future late-inning reliever due to his size and two-pitch repertoire, which included a wipeout slider and an above-average fastball — tools traditionally suited for a bullpen role. However, Meyer has quickly flipped the script.
Following a dominant spring training, Meyer secured a spot in the Marlins’ rotation and has since emerged as the team’s most reliable starter. Through five starts this season, he owns a 2.10 ERA over 30 innings, with 41 strikeouts — tied for second in the Majors behind Nationals starter Mackenzie Gore.
Catching Meyer on Monday was Marlins’ top position player prospect Agustin Ramirez, who made his major-league debut. The 23-year-old backstop, acquired last summer in the trade that sent Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the Yankees, impressed in his first big-league appearance — going 2 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base in his debut.
“Obviously was awesome having Ramirez back there – big target and really good hitter so it’s fun to see him doing these things up here now,” Meyer added about his catcher.
While Ramirez’s defense remains a work in progress — he led the International League in passed balls prior to his call-up — the Marlins are confident his bat is major-league ready and can provide long-term offensive value at a position that has lacked stability since the team traded All-Star J.T. Realmuto in 2019.
“He looked in control and calm the entire night in the box,” McCullough said of Ramirez. Ramirez’s second hit was a 110.4 mph rocket off the center-field wall in the seventh inning.
Utility player Ronny Simon also made his major-league debut on Monday, contributing an RBI single in the of the second inning to score Ramirez and give the Marlins their second run of the game. Outfielder Kyle Stowers later broke the game open with a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh.
The Reds threatened in the eighth inning against reliever Tyler Phillips, but Miami’s bullpen held firm to preserve the win — securing the Marlins’ 10th victory of the season. For context, Miami didn’t reach the 10-win mark last year until May 5.
