June 21, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Former Kentucky star right-hander Alex Meyer has been named to the 14th annual MLB Futures Game roster, set for July 8 at 5 p.m. ET at the Kansas City Royals’ Kauffman Stadium as part of MLB All-Star Game festivities, it was announced on Thursday afternoon.
Meyer will be among the top prospects from all 30 MLB organizations, with the USA roster coached by George Brett and the World roster managed by Bernie Williams. The game will be televised live on ESPN2 and MLB.TV. MLB, along with the MLB Scouting Bureau, Baseball America and the 30 MLB clubs select the 25-man rosters for the game.
In 2011, former UK southpaw James Paxton became the first UK player in program history to play in the MLB Futures Game, retiring Manny Machodo (Orioles), Bryce Harper (Nationals) and former UK 2007 teammate Jason Kipnis (Indians) in a shutout inning.
A 6-foot-9, 220-pound native of Greensburg, Ind., Meyer has starred for the low Class A Hagerstown Suns in the South Atlantic League. Meyer owns a 6-3 record and a 3.33 ERA in his first 14 professional starts. He has tossed 70 innings, allowed only 54 hits and 28 walks, striking out 77 and holding opponents to a .222 average. The current SAL Pitcher of the Week, Meyer is coming off his first career complete-game shutout vs. Hickory on June 17. He has a 5-1 record and a 2.59 ERA in his last 10 starts.
Since Kentucky emerged as one of the top programs in college baseball in claiming the 2006 Southeastern Conference Championship, the Wildcats have averaged 7.29 MLB Draft picks per season, up from 2.17 MLB Draft picks per year before the 2006 campaign. In 2012, UK had a school-record 45 win season and finished with a school-record nine players picked in the MLB Draft, along with four signees selected. Meyer’s No. 23 overall selection in the 2011 MLB Draft marked the second-highest UK player picked in program history, just behind 1996 No. 8 selection Chad Green. UK, which also currently boasts the most players in the prestigious Cape Cod Summer Collegiate League in the NCAA (eight), has had a total of 51 players drafted or sign MLB free agent contracts since 2006.
A 2011 All-SEC selection, Meyer had a breakout season as a junior, leading UK in starts (14), wins (seven), ERA (2.94), complete games (four), complete-game shutouts (two), innings pitched (101), strikeouts (110) and opponent batting average (.222). A 20th-round pick of the Boston Red Sox out of high school in 2008, Meyer finished 2011 as the SEC leader in strikeouts, strikeouts looking (48), innings pitched per game (7.21), complete games and complete-game shutouts.
With 110 strikeouts in 2011, Meyer became the 10th player in program history to fan 100 or more in a season, ranking eighth in UK single-season history. Meyer finished his career with a 13-12 record in 211.1 innings, striking out 253, the fifth-best total in UK career annals.
Meyer finished his UK career on a dominating pace in 2011, totaling six consecutive quality starts and owning a 4-1 record and a 1.97 ERA in those outings to finish the year. Meyer owned 10 quality starts in 2011, posting a 6-3 record and a 1.88 ERA in his quality outings. Over his final three starts, Meyer went 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA, including wins over No. 1 Vanderbilt, Georgia and No. 4 Florida.
