The 0's and 1's Insert
Your odds of pulling an '0's and 1's' insert in a pack is slim to none. There were more golden tickets to see the Chocolate Factory than there are 0's and 1's inserts. It takes something really special to get one to surface.
It takes something like a complete game No-Hitter
Original video — Gaurav
Ian Mejia — AA — Braves (1% Owned · Age 24 · 600+ Specs)
Ian comes from a baseball family. His father, Juan, and his older brother, Fernando, both played professionally in Mexico. He credits his brother for being a big influence in his life. In 2018, Ian was drafted in the 35th round out of high school by the Mets. He ended up staying close to home, attending the University of Arizona as a 6'2", 175 pound right-handed pitcher. He didn't play for the Wildcats as a freshman. After the season, he went to Alaska for the College Summer League, where he threw 35 innings, going 3-1 with a 4.11 ERA and a 19:24 BB:K ratio.
After coming back an inch taller, and 15 pounds heavier, he attended Pima Community College in Tucson.
Insert a pandemic, and we are able to catch up with Ian at New Mexico State University. For 2021-2022, he added another 5 pounds, getting up to 6'3, 205 lbs.
Mejia's 2021 season was not very good. He had a 24:17 BB:K, 1.96 WHIP, and a 8.24 ERA in 31.2 innings.
For the 2022 season, Mejia was able to get a lot of run. He made 15 starts and threw 100 innings, posting a 4.29 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and 32:102 BB:K line.
He was then selected in the 11th round of the 2022 draft, going 335th overall to the Braves.
Why am I giving this bio? Because stats don't show you things like determination and heart. Ian had career aspirations of "helping athletes as a trainer" in 2019. Five years later, he's now throwing complete game no-hitters in Double-A. He didn't play in Arizona, he played in Alaska during the summer, and then ended up at a community college.
Ian Mejia is the definition of determined.
After he was drafted in 2022, he pitched a couple of games at the complex and one in Single-A. Mejia then spent of all of 2023 in High-A, posting very similar numbers to his 2022 numbers in college:
He had a 56.3% No Hope %, with a 13.2% SwStr. His 2023 PARS score was 36.8. It's not a line that gets much attention. Even though it didn't jump off the page, it was a big step up. Mejia managed the same numbers in High-A that he had vs teams such as UIC, Sacramento State, Grand Canyon, Dixie State, California Baptist, and Seattle U. Numbers don't show it, but that's big progress.
In 2024, he finds himself in Double-A for the Braves.
In the first game of the season, he went just 1.1 innings, giving up 4 earned runs, a HR, 2 walks, and 1 strikeout. In his 7 starts since, he's given up just 4 earned runs combined. On the season, Mejia has a 63.3% NH%. Cut that first game out, and it jumps over 2% to 65.8% (with a 17.9% SwStr). For context Drew Thorpe (2023 PARS score 100, SP 1) had a 67.1% NH% in 2023.
The 7 starts since the first start
From his 3rd start of the season:
Original vid — Gaurav
That average against is really nice, but you wouldn't want to see the walks creep up. The LOB% over 90% says there has been some luck involved. Of course there has been. You can't throw a complete game no-hitter without having some bounce your way.
He hasn't given up a run in his last 3, posting a 68.6% NH% and a 17.3% SwStr%
That's elite stuff. Walks are down, strikeouts are up, no one can hit him. The Golden Trifecta of Shove.
Mejia's not throwing 99-102 gas. He's getting this done while sitting low 90's and touching 94. How? Well, he seems to have extreme confidence in his FB. He throws it high, low, inside, outside. Anywhere he wants.
Take a seat, Rada.
He's mixing it really well with his secondaries. Here is the change vs a lefty:
You too, Tucker.
This is what I'm talking about. It used to be FB/CH to lefties and FB/SL to righties. He seems to have confidence in all of them vs either hand now.
The best are the takes. You can see them head back, like, dammit. (Our boy, Drake Baldwin, looks pretty good back there behind the dish, by the way).
Mira, you put a minimum of 30 innings pitched, only guys 26 or younger, minimum 17% SwStr%, max ERA of 2.00, and a ground ball rate of 43% or more, and you get 3 guys:
- Matt Wilkinson, aka Tugboat, in Single-A (just promoted today, congrats)
- Quinn Mathews, who has one High-A start (he shoved) and the rest in Single-A
- Ian here with all of them coming in Double-A
That's it, that's the list.
This is Ian Mejia, the hottest pitcher in the minors you haven't heard about.
If you didn't know, now you know.
P.S.
Ian Mejia is now available to be found in any 2024 PARScard pack, where available.