Meza, Montes De Oca Looking to Hone Pitches in Fall League

Both pitchers believe that being able to succeed in the Arizona Fall League will lead to major league success in the future.

Carlos Meza and Christian Montes De Oca are both intriguing arms that could be a factor in the Diamondbacks bullpen in the coming years. Meza is a 6'1" pitcher that sits in the low-90s with a slider and changeup. He spent most of the season with High-A Hillsboro before a promotion to Double-A Amarillo in August. Between both levels, he pitched to a 5.19 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings.

Montes De Oca has a physical 6'4" build and features a mid-90s fastball (94-96) and a big slider. He popped up last year after posting a 2.95 ERA and 71 strikeouts in just under 40 innings between Visalia and Hillsboro. He got the assignment to Amarillo and held his own, putting up a respectable 4.28 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 60 2/3 innings to help the Sod Poodles win a Texas League title. In fact, Montes De Oca recorded the final out of the season by striking out Robert Perez Jr. 

"My goal on the mound was to get the batter out with strikes" said Montes De Oca through interpreter Annalee Ramirez. "Once that final pitch went out and we saw that he was struck out and I saw the guys run out with excitement, there was a lot of emotions going on. 

Both pitchers are looking to continue to learn and hone their arsenal in the Arizona Fall League, so they can be more effective at putting away hitters.

Here at the Fall League, there is less room for error" said Meza. "So the goal is to stay within the zone, attack the batter, and to strike him out."

"Sharpening my arsenal, I know I'm going to face different hitters from different organizations" said Montes De Oca. "I want to localize my pitches so I can strike them out right away."

Here in the Fall League, seven of the eight players appeared in a game for that Amarillo team that won a championship. Both pitchers describe the team as a tight-knit group, with left-hander Jake Rice sharing similar sentiments. For all of them, playing with teammates you're close with along with facilities you're familiar with from Spring Training, it makes the adjustment period easier.

As the Diamondbacks look to try to build a sustainable winner, having players experience the thrills of winning a championship in the minors can be helpful. Having previous experience in high pressure games could translate to the major leagues, although having the right coaching staff in place is equally as important.

"At the end of the day, the goal was to come together and get that championship" said Meza.

"They all pitched in their part, added their grain of sand in the whole thing. It was great to accomplish that as a team" said Montes De Oca.

Both pitchers got to experience the challenge of facing the tough challenge of pitching in Amarillo, where the combination of swirling winds, high elevation, and desert climate can cause balls to fly out of a small ballpark. However that form of adversity can also help prepare pitchers for what's to come in the big leagues.

"The first inning was a little tough" said Meza. "There was contact with his pitches, none went out thankfully, so after that I realized there was not a whole lot of time to think and in the next inning went a lot better. I realized there's no room for error, so it went a lot better."

"Being there the whole year, the first half did not go as well as I would have liked" said Montes De Oca. "Anybody that can pitch in a stadium that small is a superstar because the breeze is there to carry the balls out. The adjustments happen as you face different batters because you want to be able to strike them out, but if you give them a good ball they're going to hit it out. If you do it a little bit too low, they're going to call a ball and they're going to walk."

For their Fall League experience, Meza sees the Fall League as an opportunity to continue to compete, believing if he can succeed against the hitters here, he'll succeed against them in the major leagues in the future. Montes De Oca said the D-backs sent them both down there because they see something in them and if they are able to withstand this competitive level, it would lead to an opportunity in the big leagues.