 |
| Image from this initial draft report on Cheech |
Gavin Cecchini, the Mets 2012 First Round Pick, has been hot for the B-Mets through the first 8 games of the season, and he’s being rewarded with a bump to the leadoff spot in their lineup.
When
the Mets first selected Gavin Glenn Christopher Joseph Cecchini with the 12th
pick in 2012, the reactions from Mets fans were mixed (not uncommon with
amateur players), as some clamored for the ‘sexier’ names the Mets passed on,
even though Cecchini wasn’t a bad pick or an overdraft. It’s 3 years later and
Cecchini has had the type of start breakout seasons are made from – through 8
games. With his hot start to the season, the B-Mets are moving him to the
leadoff spot, but his breakout actually started last season.
He started 2014 with Savannah as a
20-year old, and after another slow start with the bat, he got hot starting in
late April and earned a promotion to St. Lucie. He started .207/.293/.305 with
Savannah through the first 20 games, but then hit .288/.355/.466 with 20 XBH
(15 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR) and a 15.0 K%: 9.6 BB% in 167 PA until his promotion. After
his promotion to St. Lucie, where he was 2.7 years younger than the average
player per Baseball-Reference.com, he struggled to adjust, hitting only
.200/.259/.274 (.231 BABIP) with 6 XBH over hit first 147 PA. But he recovered
to finish the season with an impressive .286/.503/.459 (.294 BABIP) slash over
124 PA, including 10 XBH (6 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR) and 11.3 K%: 16.9 BB%.
I know that the end dates are
arbitrary and sample sizes small, but Cecchini showed significant improvements
across two full season leagues in 2014 as a 20-year old shortstop, and now he’s
off to a quick start with in AA – he’s hitting .346/.414/.615 with 4 XBH (2 2B,
1 3B, 1 HR) in 29 PA, and 3 K: 3 BB. Also, he had a more pronounced leg kick
with Savannah last year that is gone now, which should only help as he faces
better pitchers with better off speed stuff. Instead, he uses a toe tap now, as
you can see in some of the gifs below.
With Wilmer Flores in the majors, Matt
Reynolds closer than Cecchini, and Amed Rosario the teenage stud just one level
behind Cheech, Gavin often gets overlooked as a potential SS option, even though he could be ready for the
Mets within the next year or two. But Rosario will take longer to get here, and
Cecchini is a better shortstop defensively than Flores or Reynolds, so he
should have a window of opportunity to win the job. Even if he doesn’t get a
big league chance with the Mets, Cecchini is proving everyday that he will one
day be a SS in the major leagues, as he’s got a great approach, with a little
pop, at a position teams struggle to find offense from. In the short-term,
moving to the top of the lineup gets this hot hitter more PA’s, and a chance to
bat in front of Brandon Nimmo instead of the 9-hole batter. Also, a lineup change like this comes from the Mets front office, and I think it's a good sign for Cecchini that they are prioritizing his PA's already. If he keeps
hitting like this, he’ll be forcing his way up to Las Vegas by midseason.
Enjoy the gifs from his first week of action below.
Enjoy the gifs from his first week of action below.
GIFs
April 11 – 2-2,
R, RBI, 2 BB
April 12 – 1-4,
R, 3B, 2 RBI, SO
April 14 – 2-3,
R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
April 15 – 1-4,
RBI
April 16 – 2-4,
2B, SO
Pretty pictures of the Cosmos: Life and death in the Universe http://t.co/nDQocOEpVX pic.twitter.com/pb1kMFJdSW
— Planetary Society (@exploreplanets) April 17, 2015
Leave your comment
Post a Comment