While the season is over for the Cincinnati Reds and all of their minor league teams, fall and winter league baseball is just getting started. There aren’t many minor leaguers playing outside of the Arizona Fall League at this point (leagues in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Mexico have started, but several leagues don’t get started until November). But out in Arizona one of the Reds hardest throwing relievers is out to a nice start in the Arizona Fall League. Luis Mey has picked up a save in each of his three outings for the Glendale Desert Dogs so far.
The 23-year-old right-handed reliever split his time in the 2024 regular season between High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga, posting a 3.44 ERA in 55.0 innings with 63 strikeouts. He didn’t allow a single home run all year. Control, though, has been a bit of an issue during his career and that carried forward in 2024 as he walked 43 batters – though his walk rate was better in Double-A than it was in High-A.
Mey be the hardest thrower in the entire organization. Last year in Daytona, where the league has pitch tracking data in all but one ballpark (which just so happens to be Daytona), Mey had the 22 fastest pitches thrown in the league and 33 of the 37 fastest pitches in the league. He topped out at 103.2 MPH and hit 102+ 10 times in his eight road games where there was pitch tracking.
Two of his three outings in Arizona have also had pitch tracking and while he hasn’t quite been at 102+, last night he was pretty close as he hit 101.7 with two different pitches during his 1.2 hitless innings for Glendale.
The Reds have a decision to make in about a month as to whether or not to add Mey to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. It’s going to be an easy decision to make.
Like another big time velocity guy in the system, Zach Maxwell, Mey is going to need to find more consistency with his strike-throwing ability. But he’s found some success in Double-A at this point and he’s going to be on the 40-man roster next year. With just a little improvement it’s possible you could see him up with the big league club in 2025.
Bally Sports will become Fan Duel Sports Network
Yes, Bally Sports (insert city/region/state) was technically named after a casino and sportsbook. But as their bankruptcy continues, they’ve been looking for ways to infuse some money into the company to stay afloat. While things are still seemingly up in the air as far as carrying the Cincinnati Reds games on the station for 2025, if that does happen, the games will be on Fan Duel Sports Network as the gambling book has bought the naming rights for the channel. One of those companies is undoubtedly known as a sports betting outfit, while the other one isn’t quite known that way by everyone. Take that for what you will.
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