Marlins select Gophers RHP Max Meyer No. 3 overall

Minnesota right-hander Max Meyer was selected by the Miami Marlins with the third overall selection in Wednesday’s first round of the MLB draft. He joins Paul Molitor as the highest drafted player in Gophers history.

Including two supplemental picks, Meyer is the ninth Minnesota player to be taken in the first round. The last Gopher selected in the first round was Mike Kvasnicka, who was selected by Houston as a supplemental pick at No. 33 overall in 2010.

Meyer is the highest Minnesota player selected since Molitor went No. 3 overall to Milwaukee in 1977. Glen Perkins has been the highest Gophers pitcher taken in the MLB draft, going at No. 22 overall to the Twins in 2004.

A junior, Meyer was able to pitch in four games this season for the Gophers before the NCAA shut down sports due to the coronavirus pandemic. He went 3-1 with a 1.95 ERA, .155 opponent batting average and 46 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings. Meyer also topped out at 101 mph on the radar gun.

In Meyer’s last start, he struck out 15 in eight innings against Utah, becoming the first Minnesota pitcher to fan 15 batters in a game snice Perkins in 2004. In his previous start against North Carolina, Meyer whiffed 14 in a complete-game victory.

Moved into the rotation as a sophomore, he recorded 16 saves as a freshman. In his three years at Minnesota, Meyer posted a 2.07 ERA and .182 opponent batting average with 187 strikeouts in 148 innings.