ORGANIZATION REPORTS
Cecconi Makes Adjustments For 2022
Righthander Slade Cecconi might not have delivered on expectations during his first full season as a pro, but he arrived at minor league minicamp in February sounding as confident as ever.
“I plan to have my electric stuff this year,” Cecconi said. “I plan to prove any doubts wrong. I plan to go out there and be the pitcher that I know I am.”
Two years ago, Cecconi was the talk of the organization. After being selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2020 draft from Miami, he quickly showcased dominant stuff at the alternate training site and in instructional league.
But he was not nearly as dominant last year, a season in which he exhibited diminished velocity and less crisp secondary stuff while being set back by minor injuries. In 12 starts for High-A Hillsboro, the 22-year-old logged a 4.12 ERA with 20 walks and 63 strikeouts in 59 innings.
The 6-foot-4, 219-pound Cecconi said he made adjustments to both his sleep habits and diet, changes that he said have left him feeling better and more confident.
Rather than playing video games late into the night, he is now trying to wind down before bed. He said he can tell his body recovers better after getting proper sleep. His diet is less about changes than it is about monitoring everything he eats.
He said he felt “really, really good” about the way the ball was coming out of his hand in the early days of camp. He said early in camp that he hadn’t really “let any go” but that he was sitting 92-94 mph and feeling “free and easy” in bullpen sessions.
He also sounded excited about adjustments he had made to his slider grip, which he hopes will help better differentiate it from his curveball.
D-backs farm director Josh Barfield said he is “very confident” that Cecconi will regain the wipeout stuff he showed in 2020.
—NICK PIECORO
Tarnok Gets Up To Speed With Technology
Righthander Freddy Tarnok has stuck with what works.
Drafted in the third round in 2017 out of Riverview (Fla.) High, he earned a spot on the Braves’ 40-man roster last November following a breakthrough season in which he reached Double-A Mississippi for nine starts.
Getting up to speed on technology helped pave the way for Tarnok’s 2021 success, which included a 3.44 ERA with 109 strikeouts and 28 walks in 73.1 innings.
The 23-year-old credits his success in part to offseason work with Kinetic Pro Performance in Tampa. His mid-90s fastball tops out at 98 mph and has plus riding life that generates whiffs.
“The great fastball shape was from training at Kinetic,” Tarnok said. “Fixing my mechanics allowed everything to play up. I added velocity and everything really worked
