Sunday Notes: Colorado Reliever Juan Mejia Has a Brayan Bello Connection

When our 2025 Colorado Rockies Top Prospect list was published last January, a 24-year-old pitcher coming off of an underwhelming season ranked 14th with a 45+ FV. Over 54 innings with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats, Juan Mejia had logged a 5.00 ERA and an equally-unhealthy 12.3% walk rate. Eric Longenhagen nonetheless remained enamored of his potential. Offering a “relatively bullish projection,” our lead prospect analyst wrote that the righty “is too freaky to slide,” because he possessed “one of the more explosive and athletic deliveries in the minors” as well as a mid-to-high-90s fastball and an “overtly nasty” slider.

Longenhagen’s faith was realized in the youngster’s rookie season. Not only did Mejia make 55 appearances, he put up a 3.96 ERA, a 3.71 FIP, and a 26.1% strikeout rate over 61-and-a-third innings. Among Rockies relievers, only Jimmy Herget took the mound more frequently and tossed more frames.

When I spoke to Mejia at Fenway Park this past summer — Colorado PR staffer Edwin Perez served as an interpreter — I learned that he has a connection with Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello. Both were signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2017, and they were together, along with other starry-eyed hopefuls, when Mejia first caught the eye of a Rockies scout.

“When I was 16, I was doing a tryout,” recalled Mejia, who hails from Baní, roughly an hour south of Santo Domingo. “I don’t remember how many teams were there, but there were a lot of them. That’s where I met Brayan Bello, who a lot of scouts were there to see.

“As a kid, you just want to get signed,” added Mejia. “You have that hope that any team that’s there watching wants to sign you. The first one that made me an offer was the Athletics. I didn’t get a lot of offers, but a lot of teams showed interest. To be honest, I didn’t think it would be the Rockies.”

Five years after signing with Colorado, Mejia was pitching in the California League when Bello made his MLB debut in Boston on July 6, 2022. Then a fringe prospect — he was an honorable mention on our Rockies list that year — Mejia was aware of what had happened on the opposite coast.

“When I heard the news, that made me very happy,” said Mejia. “That was one of my inspirations. It wasn’t my only inspiration to make the major leagues — you want that as soon as you start playing baseball — but it definitely inspired me. It pushed me even more to realize that dream, just like he did.”

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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS

Happy Felsch went 2 for 18 against John Henry.

Buck Weaver went 2 for 19 against Grover Lowdermilk.

Chick Gandil went 2 for 17 against Ed Willett.

Swede Risberg went 2 for 17 against Elam Vangilder.

Shoeless Joe Jackson went 2 for 14 against King Cole.

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Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown was featured here at FanGraphs earlier this week, the focus being his club’s identity from a hitting perspective. Left on the cutting-room floor from our conversation was what he told me about their scouting approach.

“Listen, it’s very simple,” said Brown, who cut his teeth in the scouting realm and spent several years as a director. “We stick to evaluation, we stick to makeup, and we stick to the data and the information. That’s what we do with scouting. That’s our identity. That’s our philosophy. And we’re all on the same page when it comes to that. We go with evaluation, data, and makeup. That’s how you determine who can make the biggest impact as a major league player.”

Deric Ladnier, who serves as Houston’s Senior Director of Amateur Scouting, has nearly four decades of experience evaluating players. I asked Brown to what extent he and Ladnier are on the same page.

“We’re definitely aligned,” replied Brown. “Deric is more like me, old-school. And then we have Cam Pendino, who is our director of scouting. He is really good with data and information. We combine good evaluators — good baseball guys — with good data-information people. We also really dig deep on the makeup. That’s how we combine it to make wise decisions in acquiring players.”

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The first player the Marlins acquired in this summer’s amateur draft is a 22-year-old infielder that Eric Longenhagen ranks second in the Marlins system with a 50 FV. Selected seventh overall out of Oregon State University, Aiva Arquette was then described by our lead prospect analyst as “the college hitter with the best tools/performance combo.” Arquette proceeded to debut professionally with High-A Beloit, putting up a 102 wRC+ over 117 plate appearances.

I asked Peter Bendix about Arquette during last week’s GM Meetings.

“We think he’s a shortstop,” Miami’s president of baseball operations said of the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Honolulu native. “He’s a really good defender. He’s tall, but does everything really well. He’s agile, loose, quick. He’s explosive. He’s got power. We challenged him by sending him to High-A and were really happy with the results. He’s somebody that we think can be very impactful.”

I also inquired about the Marlins’ third-ranked prospect. Is he big-league ready?

“He spent the entire year in Triple-A and was one of the better players [at that level],” Bendix said of 22-year-old Joe Mack. “He was also one of the youngest catchers, if not the youngest catcher, in Triple-A. There are components of his game that he still needs to work on. He’s already a good defender, but he can improve. He strikes out a lot. There are things he knows he needs to get better at, but he is well on track to get better. He had a helluva year.”

Mack, whom the Marlins drafted 31st overall in 2021 out of an East Amherst, New York high school, left the yard 21 times and had a 120 wRC+ this past season.

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A quiz:

Which player has the highest batting average in Cleveland Naps/Indians/Guardians history (minimum 2,500 plate appearances with the franchise)? A hint: He is more widely known for his time with another team.

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NEWS NOTES

Travis Jankowski is notable among recent MLB coaching-staff hires. The 34-year-old Stony Brook University product is joining the Texas Rangers as a first base coach after having played this past season. All told, Jankowski appeared in 706 games from 2015-2025, seeing action with eight teams. He won a World Series ring with the Rangers in 2023.

The Los Angeles Angels’ hiring Brady Anderson as their hitting coach is likewise notable, as he hasn’t previously served in that role (the more experienced John Mabry is coming on board as assistant hitting coach). Following a long playing career, the 61-year-old Anderson served as vice president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles from 2013-2019, He was featured here at FanGraphs on May 1, 2015 in an interviewed titled Brady Anderson on Analytics.

The Seattle Mariners announced that they will be retiring Randy Johnson’s number 51 during a pre-game ceremony at T-Mobile Park on May 2. The team has previously retired the numbers of Ken Griffey Jr. (#24), Edgar Martinez (#11), and Ichiro Suzuki (#51).

Bart Shirley, an infielder who appeared in 75 games while playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers and (briefly) the New York Mets across the 1964-1968 seasons, died earlier this week at age 85. Shirley closed out his 12-year professional career with Japan’s Chunichi Dragons in 1971 and 1972.

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The answer to the quiz is Shoeless Joe Jackson, who batted .375 while playing in 674 games and logging 2,854 PAs for Cleveland from 1910-1915. He subsequently played in 648 games and logged 2,802 PAs for the Chicago White Sox.

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Randy Jones, who died earlier this week at age 75, merits more than just a mention in News Notes. The former San Diego Padres southpaw (he also spent two years with the New York Mets) was not only one of the better pitchers in the mid-1970s, he was one of the top soft-tossers in recent generations. Nicknamed “The Junkman,” Jones relied on an array of breaking pitches while going 20-12 with an NL-best 2.24 ERA in 1975, and 22-14 with a 2.74 ERA in 1976. He won a Cy Young Award in the second of those two seasons and was an All-Star in both.

His strikeout totals are borderline unfathomable when compared to the current era. Jones pitched 600-and-a-third innings across his pair of All-Star campaigns, fanning just 196 batters along the way. His K/9 was a minuscule 2.94%. Moreover, his pitch-to-contact acumen allowed him to complete 43 of his 76 starts during his back-to-back stellar seasons.

As the saying goes, they don’t make ‘em like they used to. R.I.P. Randy Jones.

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Fernando Valenzuela is one of eight former players on the 2026 Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot, and as my colleague Jay Jaffe wrote recently, the Navojoa, Mexico native and Los Angeles Dodgers icon is “a genuine hero to a sizable chunk of baseball’s fan base.”

Jaffe also stated — and I wholeheartedly agree — that “Hall voters sorely need the flexibility to recognize figures whose careers don’t neatly fit into one box, and whether or not Valenzuela gets in on this ballot, I think it’s important to press for the elections of candidates such as [Lefty] O’Doul and seven-time Gold Glove winner Curt Flood.”

I’ve been planning to devote words to this subject in Sunday Notes, and upon reflection it seemed best to simply quote my colleague. Moreover, Jay’s entire profile of the man responsible for “Fernandomania” is well worth the read.

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FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Aguilas Cibaenas is dominating the Dominican Winter League with a record of 19-4, and one of the Santiago-based ball club’s outfielders is dominating the stat sheet. Over 42 plate appearances, Alberto Rodriguez is slashing .486/.571/.857 with two triples and three home runs. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter played in the Seattle Mariners system from 2021-2024, and in the Mexican League earlier this year.

Spencer Packard is punishing Puerto Rican Winter League pitchers to the tune of a .311/.380/.533 slash over 50 plate appearances with Cangrejeros de Santurce. The 28-year-old outfielder in the Mariners system had 11 home runs and a 111 wRC+ with the Triple-A Tacoma Raniers this season.

Jaison Chourio is slashing .286/.378/.349 over 74 plate appearances with the Venezuelan Winter League’s Aguilas del Zulia. Currently No. 9 in our Cleveland Guardians prospect rankings with a 45 FV, the 20-year-old outfielder had a 103 wRC+ this season with the High-A Lake County Captains.

Per reports from Japanese media, Kenta Maeda is planning to sign with NPB’s Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. The 37-year right-hander played for the Hiroshima Carp from 2008-2015 before spending the last 10 seasons stateside.

The KBO has reportedly asked MLB to post Sung-moon Song (per Yonhap News Agency’s Jee-ho Yoo). The 29-year-old third baseman/second baseman had 26 home runs to go with a .315/.387/.530 slash line and a 151 wRC+ for the Kiwoom Heroes.

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The Chicago Cubs made a low-profile move on Friday that could potentially provide high value. The NL Central club reportedly agreed to a free agent deal with 32-year-old right-hander Phil Maton, who has mostly flown under the radar while logging a 3.98 ERA and a 3.81 FIP across nine big-league seasons. Pitching for seven teams — a surprising number given his level of effectiveness — Maton has put up those numbers over 476 appearances comprising 472-and-a-third innings.

He was once again sneaky good this past season. Maton logged a 2.79 ERA, a 2.60 FIP, and a 32.7% strikeout rate over 63 appearances between St. Louis (40) and Texas (23). Atypically, he was in the 96th percentile for whiff rate while his fastball ranked in the third percentile for velocity. The righty relies heavily on curveballs and cutters, and also throws a sweeper.

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A random obscure former player snapshot:

Win Noyes, a right-hander who appeared in one regular-season game for the infamous 1919 Chicago White Sox (and not in that year’s “Black Sox” World Series), began his professional career nine years earlier with the Nebraska State League’s Kearney Kapitalists. His time down on the farm also included a season with the Central Association’s Ottumwa Speedboys.

He did see action with other big-league cubs. A spitball artist from Pleasanton, Nebraska who served with the 342nd Field Artillery in France during World War I, Noyes — his given name was Winfield Charles — played for the Boston Braves in 1913, as well as for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1917 and again in 1919 before being sold to the White Sox. Noyes went 10-10 with the A’s in 1917, pitching on a staff that included he likes of Bullet Joe Bush and Socks Seibold.

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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE

The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey took us inside a revamped Red Sox pitching program that is starting to produce results.

Also at The Athletic, Kamila Hinkson told of how Kelsie Whitmore is ready to be the face of women’s professional baseball.

MLB.com’s Travis Sawchik addressed the likelihood that 32-year-old free agent Kyle Schwarber will age well.

At Pitcher List, Dave Brown wrote about how Lou Whitaker inexplicably slipped through Cooperstown’s cracks.

An all-Black team beat the KKK on a baseball diamond in Wichita, Kansas 100 years ago. Frederic J. Frommer has the story at The Contrarian.

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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS

The last National League pitcher to steal home was Curt Simmons, with the Philadelphia Phillies on September 1, 1963. Simmons stole two bases in his career.

The last American League pitcher to steal home was Fritz Dorish, with the St. Louis Browns on June 2, 1950. It was the only stolen base of his career.

Fritz Peterson, a left-hander who is probably best known for trading families with New York Yankees teammate Mike Kekich in 1973, walked just 4.7% of the batters he faced over his 11-year career. Since 1930, the only pitchers who threw at least 2,000 innings and were stingier with free passes are Brad Radke (4.3%), Bret Saberhagen (4.5%), and Jon Lieber (4.5%).

Carlos Beltrán played in 2,586 games and reached base 3,860 times. He had a 118 wRC+ and 67.4 WAR. Dwight Evans played in 2,606 games and reached base 3,890 times. He had a 129 wRC+ and 65.1 WAR.

Joe Mack liked hitting against the New York Giants. A first baseman whose MLB career comprised 66 games with the Boston Braves in 1945, Mack managed a humble 81 wRC+ over a total of 303 plate appearances against all opponents. Versus the Giants, the 33-year-old rookie went 15 for 48 and hit all three of his home runs. He’d broken into pro ball in 1935 with the Pennsylvania State Association’s Monessen Reds.

Oscar Gamble had 210 plate appearances, 189 at-bats, and 11 home runs with each of the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees. Gamble was traded from the Yankees along with LaMarr Hoyt in exchange for Bucky Dent in 1977. Hoyt went on to win a Cy Young Award. Dent went on to take Mike Torrez deep.

The Minnesota Twins inked Glenn Williams to a free agent contract on today’s date in 2005, bringing back the Australia-born third baseman who’d gone 17-for-40 earlier that year in what turned out to be his only MLB season. Now the CEO of Baseball Australia, Williams holds the major-league record for most games played (13) in which he had at least one hit in every one he appeared in.

The Detroit Tigers signed Rob Deer as a free agent on today’s date in 1990. The three-true-outcomes slugger proceeded to hit 25 home runs, draw 89 walks, and fan an AL-worst 175 times in his first Motown season. He batted just .179, the lowest mark among MLB hitters that year.

Players born on today’s date include Brook Jacoby, who broke into the bigs with the Atlanta Braves before going on to have several solid seasons with the Indians. Acquired by Cleveland along with Brett Butler in exchange for Len Barker in 1983, the third-sacker was at his best in 1987 when he batted .300 with 32 home runs and a 144 wRC+. Jacoby made the All-Star team in both 1986 and 1990.

Also born on today’s date was Ken Schrom, a right-hander who logged a record of 51-51 with a 4.81 ERA over 900 innings while pitching for three teams across the 1980-1987 seasons. The Grangeville, Idaho native went 15-8 with the Minnesota Twins in 1983 and 14-7 with the Cleveland Indians in 1986. A longtime minor-league executive following his playing days, Schrom is a member of both the Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame and the Texas League Hall of Fame.