Gavin Cecchini Polishing Up In Penn League
Brooklyn, NY — Gavin Cecchini wasn’t slowed much by his stint on the DL, after suffering a left ankle sprain.
His progress seems to have only been bolstered. He went on a sixteen-game hitting streak, and has hit safely in his last three games, and worked three walks in the last two games. He finished August hitting .349 with twenty-nine hits through twenty-two games.
The shortstop entered his first full season in short-A ball after playing in just four games in the league in 2012. He spent that year in rookie league Kingsport, where he hit .246 with forty-seven hits in fifty-three games.
This year, he’s shown excellent pitch recognition and has made solid contact, with very good speed that he uses well to create opportunities. His intelligence and athleticism only add to his ability to contribute. Through a few games at the end of August, he proved his ability to work counts in his favor. Compared to the start of the season, his patience at the plate has improved.
Cecchini found ways to contribute throughout those games, whether drawing a walk, or grounding out to advance the runners, he did the little things. He’s expressed frustration that he wasn’t doing more as quickly as he wanted, but he’s also eased into a highly successful stretch with confidence.
Defensively he’s agile, and moves quickly, but smartly. Each play he made was fluid and careful, while also smoothly delivering the ball and putting himself in the right position to do so. He’s third in errors of all Cyclones players this year, but he played strong defense behind his pitchers in those games despite the totals in that category.
Cecchini put weight on in the off-season, adding some strength to his lean frame. He’s the right size for his position, and should put more weight on in the next couple of years. He’s got gap power, and makes good contact. He’s instinctual at the plate.
It’s hard to imagine that Cecchini, despite missing time on the disabled list, will return to short-A in 2014. He’s too advanced for the league now.
Jessica has provided minor league baseball coverage for Baseball Digest, Gotham Baseball Magazine, Pirates Prospects, Project Prospect, The Binghamton Bulletin, The Trentonian, The Worcester Telegram, and her blog 'High Heels On The Field'. She's covered MLB for MLB.com and Junior Baseball Magazine, for which she's regular contributed for seven years. Follow her on Twitter @heelsonthefield