With their 16th round pick in the 2022 MLB draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected catcher Nick Cimillo from Rutgers.
Cimillo is 22 years old, stands 6’3″, 215 pounds and he bats right-handed. He has plenty of college/summer experience, playing three years at Manhattan, two years of summer ball and the 2022 season at Rutgers. He burst onto the scene as a freshman back in 2019, hitting .350 with a .915 OPS in 59 games, while mostly playing outfield. He did well in summer ball that year, hitting .285 with a .932 OPS. Cimillo struggled a bit during the shortened 2020 season with a .736 OPS, but rebounded as a junior in 2021, posting a .918 OPS in 30 games, followed by a 1.132 OPS in summer ball, though he struggled in six games in the advanced Cape Cod League. In 2022 with Rutgers, he hit .385/.492/.707 in 54 games and caught full-time for the first time. He had 18 doubles, 16 homers and more walks (39) than strikeouts (36) in 254 plate appearances. He led the conference in OPS.
Here’s a video:
Nick Cimillo just sent this baseball back to Piscataway
Here’s another
NICK. CIMILLO. MOOSHOT.
7-4 lead for Rutgers!!! pic.twitter.com/NesQCMcQEX
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) May 21, 2022
