Rockies’ Angel Chivilli Exceeds Expectations In 2022

After two seasons in the Dominican Summer League, righthander Angel Chivilli came to minor league camp in 2022 and showed he had a live arm.

But the Rockies never expected him to finish the season closing games for a Low-A Fresno club that played for the California League title.

The 20-year-old Chivilli distinguished himself in extended spring training. The 6-foot-2, 162-pound righthander then put up a 1.15 ERA in nine Arizona Complex League games and a 2.88 mark with 10 saves in 23 games at Fresno, where he walked six and struck out 28 in 25 innings.

In a combined 40.2 innings, Chivilli allowed one home run.

“More than anything, he just overwhelmed hitters this year,” Rockies assistant farm director Jesse Stender said. “Obviously, we were expecting a little bit of a challenge when he moved to Low-A, and he really just kept the momentum rolling.

“The (pitch) mix and the package is very intriguing, but you never know when you send a young kid out from an extended program into a full season. Obviously, he wasn’t fazed by it.”

Chivilli’s fastball, slider and changeup are potentially plus pitches. He hit 99 mph with his fastball, which sat 95 with late life. He’s shown a good feel to throw his changeup, which sat 87-88 mph with good depth and sinking action.

Chivilli’s slider is inconsistent and ranged widely from 84-91 mph. But he showed feel to spin the ball, and there’s late break and movement when the pitch flashes plus.

Chivilli, who signed in July 2018 from the Dominican Republic, will move up to High-A Spokane next season. But this offseason, his role will be discussed.

Keeping him in relief would be easy after his success this year. But with three pitches that flash plus, it’s fair for the Rockies to wonder about starting him, something he did for 12 games in the DSL in 2019 and eight in 2021.

“Potentially there’s more discussions to be had about what is his ultimate role going forward,” Stender said. “And would it benefit him to move back into a starting role and log innings and just see what you have there?”

 

ROCKY ROADS

— Righthanded relievers Dugan Darnell and Adam McKillican will play in the Australian Baseball League, Darnell with Canberra and McKillican with Adelaide. Darnell, 25, went 4-1, 5.29 at Double-A Hartford last season, and McKillican, whom the Rockies signed after the Rangers released him in late March, went 3-0, 1.64 in 32 games with High-A Spokane.

— The Rockies have added Max George to their pro scouting staff. They drafted George out of a Denver-area high school in the sixth round in 2014 and signed him for $620,000. Originally a shortstop, George made the conversion to catcher in 2019. He got as high as Double-A, playing 68 games for Hartford in 2021 and eight this year before being released in late May. George hit .230/.354/.396 in 536 games with 54 home runs and 200 RBIs.

The Rockies had George spend two weeks in October in the Arizona Fall League with Ty Coslow, one of their veteran pro scouts. Marc Gustafson, senior director of scouting operations, said George will give the Rockies coverage in the Arizona Complex League they currently lack. George will also assist in scouting the Low-A California League and High-A Northwest League. Rockies scouts cover teams in those leagues on an organizational rather than league-wide basis and sometimes are not able to complete their coverage at an organization’s lower levels. George’s presence will ensure fuller coverage of those two leagues.