Injuries have derailed Max Meyer's promising career. Will a healthy 2026 finally unlock the talent the Marlins drafted so high?
Miami Marlins' starting pitcher Max Meyer just hasn't put it together yet.
In 2020, Miami took the former Minnesota Golden Gopher No. 3 overall, making him the top pitcher selected in that draft.
Eight picks later, the Chicago White Sox drafted Garrett Crochet, another college pitcher from the University of Tennessee.
Corchet is a two-time All-Star who signed a six-year, $170 million extension with the Boston Red Sox last April.
Meyer has a career 5.29 ERA, but to be fair, a lot of it isn't his fault.
The good news is that Meyer projects to be in Miami's Opening Day starting rotation, and he's the latest subject of "Getting to Know the Fish," a Marlins Roundtable series profiling each Miami player.
Age: 26
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 196 pounds
Hometown: Woodbury, Minnesota
Years in MLB: Three
Years with the Marlins: Three
How He Got Here: Meyer made his big league debut in July 2022, but what was supposed to be his rookie season ended before it really started.
In Meyer's second start, he tore his UCL, costing him the rest of that season and all of 2023.
In 2024, a lingering hip injury affected Meyer's performance, and he ended the year with a 5.68 ERA over 11 starts.
Meyer underwent hip surgery in July 2025, ending his season with a 4.73 ERA through 12 starts.
It's disappointing for Meyer, for sure. But the fact that he hasn't had one season in the majors that wasn't significantly affected or entirely lost due to injury can't be ignored.
Where He Stands: How Meyer's 2026 goes will depend largely on his health. We've never seen what a healthy Meyer can do over a full season at the big-league level; until we do, it would be unfair to judge him.
With that said, if Meyer is healthy and he doesn't perform well, many will start to think he just isn't as good as the Marlins thought he was in 2020.
Meyer is expected to be ready for the start of spring training. How he performs there will say a lot about his recovery and what he still has left in the tank.
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