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

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

External links

* * {{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