At 6-foot-7 and somewhere over two and a half bills, Dakota Mekkes more closely resembles a blocking tight end than a reliever. But with his unconventional delivery, the big righty’s approach more closely resembles the shiftiness of a slot receiver. Which is to say he doesn’t light up radar guns with elite velocity, relying instead on the deception generated by his low arm slot and extreme length.
Those factors allowed Mekkes to blaze through the lower levels of the system after being selected in the 10th round of the 2016 draft. He played for two affiliates in each of his first three seasons, making his way to Triple-A Iowa and posting a 1.