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When the Minnesota Twins acquired pitching prospect Alex Meyer in 2012, Twins general manager Terry Ryan made it clear what the expectations for Meyer’s role would be. “Starter, starter, starter, starter,” Ryan told reporters emphatically. At that time the Twins were desperate for any semblance of starting pitching to add to their depleted farm system. On paper Meyer -- who had touched triple digits and held steady around 96-to-98 miles per hour -- was exactly the type of pitcher that the Twins needed. In his first professional season in the Nationals’ organization he had struck out 129 in 139 innings. By comparison the Twins’ organization’s strikeout leader that season was Jason Wheeler with 115 strikeouts (Wheeler, however, needed 27 more innings than Meyer to reach his total). In theory, Meyer’s addition to the system would provide the Twins with a future front-of-the-rotation pitching talent. Three seasons later however his role is less crystallized then what Ryan had envisioned. Meyer’s inconsistency in his mechanics and command combined with his shoulder woes have pushed him toward the bullpen (where he thrived, mind you, holding hitters to a .254 average in relief versus .325 as a starter). Nevertheless, the uncertainty and the shift to the bullpen, as well as talent additions, have driven Meyer lower on the prospect list but make no mistake he still has the tools to be a solid contributor somewhere on the staff.Age: 26 (DOB: 1/3/90) 2015 Stats (AAA/MLB): 94.2 IP, 5.13 ERA, 103/51 K/BB ETA: 2015 2015 Ranking: 5 National Top 100 Rankings BA: NR | MLB: NR | BP: NR What's To Like The velocity, that’s for sure. Meyer was originally drafted by the Red Sox out of Greensburg High School (Ind.) in the 20th round of the 2008 draft but a reported $2 million bonus offer from Boston was not enough to convince the hard-throwing right-hander to bypass college in Kentucky. In 2011, after flashing triple-digits fastball for the Wildcats, the Nationals snagged him in the first round at 23rd overall. So far, the Twins have only received a brief sampling of the heat. In his two-outing stint with the Twins last year he wound up throwing the second hardest fastball among the staff at 98. Velocity matters because dating back to 2008, when hitters are facing 98+, they hit .205 with a slugging of .288. In comparison, when pitchers are sitting 90-to-95, hitters have posted a .274 average with a .428 slugging. According to ESPN/TruMedia the Twins have hit 98 or higher on the radar gun just 23 times (13 of which belonged to Juan Morillo) and was the lowest number among all teams in that eight year span. But Meyer is more than just a pretty fastball. After the 2014 season, Baseball America anointed Meyer’s breaking ball, a knuckle-curve, as the best in the International League. Like his fastball, at times Meyer has trouble commanding it but the hammer break has made it a very good complement to his fastball. What's Left To Work On Consistency has been Meyer’s main issue but if there is one thing Meyer has been consistent about it has been his release point dropping over the last few years. When Meyer made an appearance in the Futures Game in 2011, PitchF/X data said he was releasing the ball near 6.6 feet. However, by the time Meyer arrived with the Twins, his arm angle had lowered so much that he was releasing the ball a foot lower than before. Download attachment: Brooksbaseball-Chart.png Considering Meyer has had shoulder ailments in the past, it is no surprise to see this type of dip in release point. In 2013 he missed 83 days because of a strained shoulder and was shut down in August 2014 with inflammation. This last year was relatively injury free but he readily acknowledge in Rochester that he was focused on raising his release point as he struggled with his command. Opponents who faced him in 2014 and then again in 2015 noted that his fastball looked flat and lacked the same movement compared to the prior season. If he is able to correct this, Meyer could be a dangerous pitcher on the mound. What's Next Since the Twins’ rotation is at capacity (and still trying to find room for Jose Berrios), there could be room in the bullpen as the front office’s indifference toward free agents relievers suggests that they believe in their crop of young power arms - including Meyer. Despite the struggles, with two option years remaining, the Twins can be patient with him. With a few tweaks, Meyer has the weapons to be a shutdown reliever. So while Meyer likely won’t start the season in Minnesota, he will be on a short list of pitchers who will get the call when help is needed. Click here to view the article