Nick Cimillo: High contact rates allowed for quick Double-A adjustment
After a slow start, Nick Cimillo has been dialing it up wtih Double-A Altoona
For most college-level hitters, it’s best to wait until after they leave Greensboro before you start evaluating them as prospects.
The friendly confines of First National Bank Field can skew what a hitter can do, and it quickly gets exposed at Double-A.
You won’t find Nick Cimillo on any prospect lists; at first glance,, it can be easy to see why. He was a 16th-round pick out of Rutgers, who is already limited defensively to just first base and began the year in Greensboro not only on the Development List but also at 24 years old.
He finally hit his way out of Greensboro, getting promoted in July.
After a rough first five games, in which he went 2-19 (one of the hits was a home run), Cimillo has found his rhythm with Altoona.
Since July 25, Cimillo has hit .385/.478/.538 with a 192 wRC+. He’s walked (7) nearly as many times as he has struck out (8).
With his larger frame and 19 overall home runs on the season, Cimillo looks the part of a big-time slugger, potentially selling out contact for power.
But, he’s been one of the better hitters in the system when it comes to making contact.
Not only has Cimillo been making fantastic contact inside the zone, but he’s rarely been extending outside of it. He’s more on the passive side of things, with just a 38.8% swing rate, but he’s making every swing count.
It’s hard to understand where Cimillo falls as an actual prospect. He’s still on the older end for Double-A, but it’s starting to get harder to ignore the results.
At least when it comes to actual performers, it’s hard to argue that Cimillo hasn’t been one of the better-hitting prospects in the upper levels, especially after Charles McAdoo got traded.
Given his age, and that the Triple-A season extends past Double-A, if he should continue to put up the numbers, there could be another promotion in line for a player that at one point wasn’t looked at much more as just a depth player.
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Because of his age and lack of pedigree he will have doubters all the way to majors, but it seems, seems, like we might have found a solid major league hitter, not unlike Steve Pearce, though with a bit more power. We’ll see… Can good things happen to Pirate hitters???
Where is Endy Rod and why isn't he hitting somewhere in the minors? I know he had TJ surgery but so has Othani and he is hitting for LA. What is pirate management hiding? In spring training Endy was interviewed but did not shine any light on his situation. Can anyone provide any info?