Darrell Ceciliani Stats & Scouting Report

AB	100
AVG	.19
OBP	.25
SLG	.3
HR	2

Full name Darrell Albert Ceciliani
Born 06/22/1990 in Tracy, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Columbia Basin CC
Debut 05/19/2015
Drafted in the 4th round (134th overall) by the New York Mets in 2009 (signed for $204,300).

View Draft Report

Madras, Ore., has a population of about 5,000, so when a player from there gets compared to Madras' most famous resident--Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury--it attracts attention. Columbia Basin CC outfielder Darrell Ceciliani has drawn such comparisons, though he's not quite on Ellsbury's level athletically and some scouts have questions about his bat. Ceciliani didn't play for travel teams growing up, instead spending his summers working on his family's cattle farm. A broken hand his junior year of high school moved him even further off the radar, but he developed a relationship with Columbua Basin associate coach Jeremy Beard. Like Ellsbury, Ceciliani is 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, but he looks a little bulkier. He bats and throws lefthanded and is up at the plate looking to put the ball in play and use his above-average speed (6.58 seconds over 60 yards) to get on base. Ceciliani hasn't faced good pitching, yet can get jammed even against below-average velocity in the NWAACC and has just warning-track power with wood during batting practice.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Matt den Dekker's emergence as a viable fourth outfielder cuts off Ceciliani's clearest path the big league roster, but his skill profile could fit with a team in need of a lefthanded-hitting extra outfielder. Some scouts see Ceciliani as a future regular, though with below-average power and no carrying tool, he probably would be overexposed with regular play. Injuries marred his first four seasons in pro ball, but he remained healthy in 2013 and 2014 at Double-A Binghamton and hit .278/.326/.392 in nearly 900 trips to the plate. Ceciliani doesn't try to do too much at the plate, focusing on hitting the ball hard to the middle of the field with sound barrel control, and if he makes more contact he can be an average major league hitter. Strong and athletic, he occasionally will turn on an inside pitch and launch the ball, but he's generally best suited as a top-of-the-order hitter with average speed, bunting ability and good baserunning instincts. Ceciliani made real improvement to his defensive play in center field, taking better routes the ball in 2014 and now playing plus defense. His average arm would play in any outfield spot. If Ceciliani isn't on the 40-man roster, then he'll qualify for minor league free agency following the 2015 season, which he will begin at Triple-A Las Vegas.
Ceciliani represents the best chance the Mets have to redeem their 2009 draft. The club lacked a first-round pick that year after signing free agent Francisco Rodriguez, and second-rounder Steve Matz and third-rounder Robbie Shields had Tommy John surgery shortly after turning pro. Ceciliani reached high Class A last year before succumbing to the injury bug. He appeared in just 23 games for St. Lucie (plus 18 more in the Arizona Fall League) between disabled-list stints stemming from a hamstring injury. The same affliction cut into his 2011 season as well. When healthy, Ceciliani continued to improve at the plate, making more contact, drawing more walks and driving the ball more frequently. His swing path is geared more for singles and doubles than homers, though scouts believe double-digit home run totals are possible. Though he lacks true plus speed, Ceciliani displays strong instincts in center field and a fringy arm that would preclude a future in right. New York gained an extra year to evaluate Ceciliani for the 40-man roster because he was drafted at age 18. That additional shot of youth ensures that he'll be right on time when he reaches Double-A in 2013, whether he arrives in April or July.
Ceciliani won the short-season New York-Penn League batting title by hitting .351 in 2010, but he lost all momentum last season when he landed on the disabled list in April with a hamstring injury. He hardly looked like the same hitter when he returned in May, batting just .245 in the first half. Ceciliani finally caught fire in August, when he hit .320 with 16 walks and nine extra-base hits in 25 games, and he stayed hot for the low Class A South Atlantic League playoffs. He helped carry Savannah to the finals by hitting .394 with two triples while reaching base 19 times in eight games. Ceciliani served as the Sand Gnats' primary leadoff hitter, and that's the role he fits best because he lines the ball to all fields and works deep counts. He improved both his walk rate (to 11 percent) and stolen-base percentage (to 76 percent) substantially in 2011. He has enough power to run into 10 homers on an annual basis, but his swing is geared more for singles and doubles. Ceciliani doesn't possess blazing speed or incredible range in center field--both tools grade as average--though he takes clean routes to the ball. His arm grades as below average and his throws feature limited carry, making him a better fit for left or center field. After finishing last year in style, Ceciliani stands poised for a shot at high Class A in 2012.
Ceciliani hails from Madras, Ore., the same small town that produced Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. He signed with the Mets for $204,300 in 2009 as a fourth-round pick and then promptly fell on his face at Rookielevel Kingsport, batting .234 in 42 games. He made a full recovery last season with Brooklyn, hitting .351 to win the New York-Penn League batting title while also leading the league with 56 runs and 12 triples. Ceciliani is a contact-oriented, line-drive hitter who uses the whole field, which gives him a chance to be an average to plus hitter. He handles both lefthanders and righthanders, and he records his fair share of bunt hits. Ceciliani has strength in his wrists and forearms, but he's more of a gap hitter and not a big home run threat. Evaluators expect him to top out near 10 homers per season--though he did drive one ball out to right field in Brooklyn, where charging winds keep most everything in play. (Lucas Duda, Reese Havens and Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit one homer each to right field while with the Cyclones, and Ike Davis managed zero.) Ceciliani hits around the ball at times when his swing gets too big, and he'll need to improve his stolen-base success rate (just 60 percent last year in 35 attempts), but he profiles as a big league tablesetter. He's an average to a tick above-average runner who accelerates quickly and reads the ball well off the bat in center field. He has enough range to make center his permanent home, though his arm is fringe-average. A ticket to low Class A awaits.

Minor League Top Prospects

Like Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, Ceciliani is a native of Madras, Ore. The Mets signed him for $204,300 out of junior college in 2009 and assigned to the Rookie-level Appalachian League, where he struggled. He busted out in a big way in his first full pro season, winning the NY-P batting title (.351) and leading Brooklyn to the championship series. "Man, he can really hit and he did it all year," a scout with a National League club said. "He has a good hitting approach, he uses the whole field, he hits lefties and righties--just did a good job. He's got good wrists and forearms, line-drive strength, maybe a 10-12 homer guy, but he will hit a lot of doubles." Other evaluators say Ceciliani has a long swing and is susceptible to fastballs inside. But his bat stays in the zone for a long time, and he simply has a knack for making contact. He projects as an average-to-plus hitter with below-average power. A 55 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, Ceciliani gets good reads and jumps in center field. He has a fringe-average arm. He has a chance to be an everyday center fielder if he continues to hit like he did this summer, or he could have value as a fourth outfielder.