Slade Cecconi
Slade Devin Cecconi
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 4", Weight 219 lb.
- School University of Miami
- High School Trinity Preparatory School
- Debut August 2, 2023
- Born June 24, 1999 in Oviedo, FL USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Pitcher Slade Cecconi was drafted with the 33rd overall pick of the 2020 amateur draft, by the Arizona Diamondbacks in Competitive Balance Round A. He was coming out of the University of Miami, where he had gone 5-4 in 2019 and 2-1 in 4 starts in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season prematurely, both years with an ERA around 4.00. He had previously been drafted in the 38th round of the 2018 amateur draft by the Baltimore Orioles coming out of high school.
When the minor leagues resumed play in 2021, he was assigned to the Hillsboro Hops of the High-A West, going 4-2, 4.12 in 12 starts. Like many first-year starting pitchers that season, his workload was deliberately limited, as he pitched only 59 innings. He also appeared in the Arizona Fall League after the season. In 2022, he got to pitch a full season in the AA Texas League, going 7-6, 4.37 in 26 games (25 starts) with the Amarillo Sod Poodles. He logged 129 2/3 innings with a very good K/W ratio of 127/32.
He started the 2023 season with the AAA Reno Aces of the Pacific Coast League, going 4-8, 6.38 in 20 starts. In spite of those underwhelming stats, he was called up to make his big league debut on August 2nd and made the news for the very unusual nature of his first career strikeout. Starting against the San Francisco Giants that day, he had a full count on leadoff hitter LaMonte Wade when his next pitch hit the knob of Wade's bat and deflected straight into catcher José Herrera's crotch, where it became stuck. Home plate umpire Gabe Morales originally called a hit by pitch but the D-Backs challenged the call, and Wade was ruled to have struck out on a caught foul tip. Slade ended up pitching 4 2/3 innings, giving up a pair of runs on four hits and had a no-decision as the Giants won the game, 4-2.
Further Reading[edit]
- Steve Gilbert: "After review, D-backs pitcher gets odd 1st MLB K: Cecconi's debut highlighted by HBP turned uncomfortable foul tip", mlb.com, August 3, 2023. [1]
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