The Cleveland Guardians’ decision to trade Josh Naylor was as surprising as it was controversial.
However, manager Stephen Vogt is confident in the team’s ability to turn RHP Slade Cecconi into a legitimate starter.
With that in mind, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com dug deep into the tape and his numbers, and while the stats aren’t that impressive, he does agree with Vogt:
“Cecconi, 25, was Arizona’s first round pick in 2020 out of the University of Miami. The 6-foot-4, 219-pound Cecconi will arrive in Goodyear with a chance to make the Guardians as a starter or a reliever. He went 2-7 with a 6.66 ERA in 20 appearances including 13 starts last year. He struck out 64 and walked 17, but allowed 16 homers,” Hoynes said.
Cecconi made his debut in 2023 and played a key role for the Arizona Diamondbacks during their World Series run.
He’s played both out of the bullpen and as a starter.
The Guardians have a strong set of relievers and a thin rotation, so it makes sense that they look to turn him into a legitimate starter.
He’s logged 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings as a starter and ranked in the 92nd percentile in walk percentage last season.
He has also demonstrated impressive velocity with his fastball, and although it may result in some hard contact occasionally, he possesses a tremendous feel for the strike zone.
He also fits the mold of what the Guardians have liked from their pitchers in the past.
He has a high extension, ranking in the 64th percentile, similar to Triston McKenzie, Shane Bieber, and Tanner Bibee.
Of course, there are reasons for concern when looking at his numbers at first glance, and he might be a bit of a project at this point, but he’s young, and the Guardians’ pitching coaching staff is elite.
NEXT: Guardians Retain Recently DFA'd Pitcher
