Gavin Glenn Christopher Joseph Cecchini
(; born December 22, 1993) is an American professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
second baseman who is a free agent. He has played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
.
Early life
Cecchini was born in
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles (French: ''Lac Charles'') is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Founded in 1861 in Calcas ...
, and attended
Alfred M. Barbe High School. Prior to the
2012 MLB draft
The 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the first overall pick, selected Carlos Correa from the Puerto ...
, Cecchini was regarded by Perfect Game as "good athlete, highest level hitter and outstanding middle infield tools."
Cecchini initially committed to play
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
for the
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associat ...
, before switching his commitment to
Ole Miss. He was drafted by the Mets in the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft with the 12th overall pick.
Professional career
New York Mets
Cecchini began his professional career in 2012 with the
Kingsport Mets
The Kingsport Mets were a Minor League Baseball team of the Appalachian League from 1921 to 2020. They were located in Kingsport, Tennessee, and were last named for the team's major league affiliate, the New York Mets. The team played its home ga ...
of the
Appalachian League, batting .246/.311/.330, and then was promoted to
Brooklyn Cyclones
The Brooklyn Cyclones are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, and play at Maimonides Park, just off the Coney Island Boar ...
for five games in which he was hitless to end the season.
[Gavin_Cecchini_Baseball_Statistics_[2012-2017]]
/ref>_''Baseball_America.html" ;"title="012-2017]">Gavin Cecchini Baseball Statistics [2012-2017]
/ref> ''Baseball America">012-2017]">Gavin Cecchini Baseball Statistics [2012-2017]
/ref> ''Baseball America'' ranked him as the #2 prospect in the Mets system and the Appalachian League's #12 prospect following the 2012 season. He began the 2014 baseball season as a member of the Savannah Sand Gnats of the Class A South Atlantic League, and for three teams in aggregate he batted .247/.328/.378.
He was promoted to the Major Leagues on September 6, 2016. He made his Major League debut on September 11, striking out in a pinch hit
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, Americ ...
appearance at Turner Field
Turner Field was a baseball stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia. From 1997 to 2016, it served as the home ballpark to the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium in 1996 to serve as the c ...
. On September 24, he hit his first career hit, an RBI double. For the season, he batted .208/.253/.273.
Cecchini was designated for assignment on January 28, 2019 following the signing of Justin Wilson. He was outrighted on February 1, 2019 but was invited to spring training. After recovering from injury, he was assigned to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies
The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club. The Rumble Ponies play in Mirab ...
. He became a free agent following the 2019 season.
Canberra Cavalry
On November 8, 2019, Cecchini signed with the Canberra Cavalry
The Canberra Cavalry (nicknamed Cavs) is a professional baseball team from Canberra, ACT, Australia. Established in 2010, the team is a founding member of the Australian Baseball League (ABL). The Cavs home ground is Narrabundah Ballpark, kno ...
of the Australian Baseball League
The Australian Baseball League (ABL) is a professional baseball league in Australia. The league is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation (ABF). It uses the same name as a now-defunct competition held during the 1990s, and though it ...
. He abruptly quit his contract with the Canberra Cavalry
The Canberra Cavalry (nicknamed Cavs) is a professional baseball team from Canberra, ACT, Australia. Established in 2010, the team is a founding member of the Australian Baseball League (ABL). The Cavs home ground is Narrabundah Ballpark, kno ...
due to concerns about air pollution caused by bushfires.
Arizona Diamondbacks
On January 29, 2020, Cecchini signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
. He was released on May 22, 2020.
Sugar Land Skeeters
In July 2020, Cecchini signed on to play for the Sugar Land Skeeters
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the Greater Houston metr ...
of the Constellation Energy League
The Constellation Energy League was an independent baseball league that operated in Texas during 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions limiting travel, and as a way to create opportunities for minor league players.
History
The league consisted of ...
(a makeshift 4-team independent league created as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
) for the 2020 season.
Los Angeles Angels
On May 12, 2021, Cecchini signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...
organization. He elected free agency on November 7, 2021.
Personal life
He is the younger brother of Major League infielder Garin Cecchini.
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cecchini, Gavin
1993 births
Living people
American people of Italian descent
Baseball players from Louisiana
Binghamton Mets players
Binghamton Rumble Ponies players
Brooklyn Cyclones players
Kingsport Mets players
Las Vegas 51s players
Major League Baseball infielders
New York Mets players
Rocket City Trash Pandas players
Salt River Rafters players
Savannah Sand Gnats players
Scottsdale Scorpions players
Sportspeople from Lake Charles, Louisiana
St. Lucie Mets players
Sugar Land Skeeters players
Syracuse Mets players
2017 World Baseball Classic players
American expatriate baseball players in Australia