Player Profile: Zech Zinicola

Zech Zinicola - Pitcher
Born: 3/02/1985, San Bernardino, CA
Height: 6’1” – Weight 220
Bats: R – Throws R
College: Arizona State
Drafted: 6th Round of the 2006 First Year Player Draft

2006 was an amazing year for Zech Zinicola. In June he was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 6th Round of the First Year Player Draft. In the first three months of his pro career he pitched at Low-A Vermont, High-A Potomac, and Double-A Harrisburg. He had a combined record of 4-1, 8 saves and a 1.65 ERA in 19 games. He was honored by the Washington Nationals as their Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Zech was supposed to play in the Hawaii Winter League but was shutdown due to a small injury and the number of innings he pitched.

The Nationals seemed to have placed Zinicola on the ‘fast track’. Nationals fans, blogs and media were expecting him to make his pro debut in 2007; some even speculated that he would get called up in Sept 2006. Most everyone was touting him as the replacement to established Nationals closer Chad Cordero.

Entering the 2007 season Zinicola was ranked by Baseball America as the 6th best prospect in the Nationals organization. He returned to Harrisburg to start the season. Many people, including myself, thought it would be a brief stay but that was not the case. April ended and he had an 11.25 ERA. At times he pitched very well, other times he didn’t and sometimes I think he was left in the game to long. Overall his struggles continued and he ended the season, in Harrisburg, with a 0-4 record, 6 saves, and a 5.46 ERA.

In researching Zinicola, I noticed that there are several websites, blogs and baseball minds are questioning his prospect status based on his 2007 stats. Something we all have to remember, before rushing to judgment and removing the prospect label from Zinicola, is that he has only been pitching full-time for two years. He did not make the switch to full-time pitcher until his final year in college, which was only last year. He has a lot to learn, in terms of pitching. He has ‘good stuff’ and should continue to develop on the mound.

He struggled this past season with control of his 95 MPH fastball and got behind in the count. That took away the ability to use his other pitches (slider and split-finger). His slider ranks as the best in the Nationals organization, by Baseball America. Senators catcher, Luke Montz, was quoted as saying Zinicola’s split-finger is “unreal”. To be more effective he is going to have to have better location and control of his fastball. If he can become more consistent I think he will be able to live up to everyone’s initial expectations.

I last spoke with Zech after the Senators final home game on September 3. As he was preparing to drive from Pennsylvania to California (home) he told me his goals were to play well in the Arizona Fall League and earn a spring training invite by the Nationals. In the AFL, which is known as a hitters league, he finished with a 3.48 ERA in 10 innings. I’m not sure if that will earn him a spring training invite but he did improve his ERA which is a good starting point.

I’m not sure where Zech will start next season. My guess would be either Harrisburg or Columbus depending on how well he does in spring training. Either way I wish him well. He is a great a competitor and a good guy, who always stopped to talk to and sign for kids. He was always nice to me and my son too, which I greatly appreciated.