Somewhere in the Eastern United States in April 2014, two Minnesota Twins pitching prospects held a conversation about changeups. Before a game in Pennsylvania or New York, Deolis Guerra, a tall reliever, approached Alex Meyer, an even taller starter, to tell him he would be better off nixing the circle-changeup grip he favored for a faster, three-finger change.
In the International League that spring, Meyer experimented to great success. He had always lacked a reliable third pitch to complement his fastball and breaking ball and ensure he could remain a starter rather than a reliever.