On a Mets roster overloaded with infielders, 23-year-old Gavin Cecchini may have to wait a bit longer before he gets significant time in the big leagues.
The shortstop has shown flashes of steady hitting so far, with consistency at the plate and in the field a must if he is looking to beat out the likes of Wilmer Flores.
Origins
Born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Cecchini was drafted 12th overall by the Mets in 2012. The right-handed hitter opted not to attend college and debuted for Rookie league Kingsport at 18.
By 2015, Cecchini had reached Double A, where he hit .317 with 51 RBIs with Binghamton.
2016
Cecchini was promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas last year and picked up where he left off, hitting .325 over the course of 117 games.
He was called up to Queens in September as the Mets battled the injury bug. Cecchini hit a pair of doubles, driving in two runs in six at-bats over four games as a shortstop and pinch hitter.
Future
With Asdrubal Cabrera and Flores ahead of him on the depth chart, Cecchini is poised to return to Las Vegas to begin the 2017 campaign. However, the Mets have suffered their fair share of injuries over the last couple of years, so a return to the big-league roster at some point this season could be in the cards.
Cecchini, who had been playing for Italy in the World Baseball Classic, should focus on lowering his error count from a career high 33 last season. Other than that, he may simply be playing the waiting game.
