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Cecchini, Gsellman, Diaz Crack New York Penn League Top-20

By Former Writers

October 2, 2013 2 Comments

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Now this is more like it… Three players on the Brooklyn Cyclones found themselves on Baseball America’s Top-2o New York Penn League prospects: Gavin Cecchini, Robert Gsellman, and Miller Diaz. First off, here’s what BA had to say about all of them:

Cecchini (#11):

Cecchini’s older brother Garin ranked No. 2 on this list in 2011 and reached Double-A as a third baseman with the Red Sox this year. Gavin, the No. 12 overall pick last year, is not as physical or offensive as Garin, but he profiles as a true shortstop, unlike his brother. Scouts and NY-P managers agreed that none of Cecchini’s tools stands out, but he’s a gamer with good instincts and makeup. He’s mechanically sound at shortstop with smooth actions, solid range, reliable hands and a strong, accurate arm.

Cecchini’s bat has a long way to go. One manager called him “just weak, like a push hitter.” He slaps balls middle to away and needs to get stronger in order to drive the ball. Some scouts think he could become a slightly above-average hitter with below-average power when he grows into his body. He is an average runner.

Gsellman (#18):

Gsellman has excellent command to both sides of the plate with his 90-91 mph fastball, which occasionally bumps 92-93. He has good feel for his sharp slider, which flashes above-average with good depth. His changeup is still a work in progress, but it should be a serviceable third offering. Gsellman’s durable build and advanced feel for pitching give him a chance to be a back-end starter, but he lacks overpowering stuff at this stage of his development.

Donnelly likened Gsellman to Gabriel Ynoa, who followed a dominant 2012 NY-P campaign with a sterling 2013 at low Class A Savannah in which he led all qualified minor league starters with 1.06 walks per nine innings. “He’s just like Ynoa: strikes, strikes, a lot of strikes,” Donnelly said. “His innings are so fast.”

Diaz (#20):

A converted catcher, Diaz still was new to pitching when the Mets signed him in 2009, and it has taken him some time to learn his craft. He spent two seasons in the Rookie-level Appalachian League before breaking out this summer in the NY-P, which he led in strikeouts (87).

Diaz’s bread and butter is a 92-94 mph sinker that bores in on righties and drops off the table. He has flashed even more velocity at times, reaching 98 last winter in the Venezuelan League. His secondary stuff is just fair currently. He flashes a promising power slider at times, but it remains inconsistent, as does his changeup. To have a chance to stick as a starter, Diaz still needs to improve his command and alter approach to become more efficient, and he must develop his offspeed stuff. He profiles better as a middle reliever at this stage.

I am surprised to see Miller Diaz end up on this list, but if you lead the league in strikeouts, you’re bound to get a second look. He really does have some impressive stuff, but its the control that worries me. The slider flashes potential to be dominant at times, and other times he can’t find the zone with it or his sinker, for that matter. If he sticks as a starter, he could be one hell of a pitcher, but right now he runs up his pitch count too quickly and I can only hope he becomes more aggressive if he can hone his command.

It’s nice to see Cecchini on this list because the general consensus is that he will stick it as a shortstop. There are a lot of shortstops that get by on mainly defensive talent, and although he isn’t a wizard, he certainly won’t hurt you in the field. That being said, Cecch is young, so there’s time to develop the bat — and that is exactly why there is hope for him yet.

As for Gsellman, I smirked a little when I saw the Ynoa comparison — I already know I’m going to like this guy more and more. Why? Strikes, strikes, strikes. Although BA notes he doesn’t really have anything overpowering/overwhelming, he makes up for it with impeccable control and an aggressive nature on the mound. Savannah should treat him well.

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