Zanghi has been dominant in Binghamton’s bullpen
HARTFORD — When Joe Zanghi got his second taste of Triple-A baseball a couple of weeks ago, it was almost like entering a major-league clubhouse.
Zanghi, the Milford native and Foran High product, was called up on May 24 from Double-A Binghamton to Triple-A Syracuse, whose roster might be able to compete in the AL Central. Matt Kemp, Rajai Davis, Ruben Tejada, Danny Espinosa, Gregor Blanco and, of course, Tim Tebow would be among Zanghi’s teammates.
“It was a great experience to learn,” said Zanghi, who had made a couple of outings with Triple-A Las Vegas last season. “Pretty much everybody in that clubhouse has big-league time and experience. To be able to soak in the things that they say and learn from them — there are some serious veterans in that clubhouse. I just tried to learn what I could from them.”
Zanghi, 24, wasn’t quite able to carry over his dominant work in Binghamton’s bullpen to Syracuse. He gave up two hits, two walks and a run in just 1⁄3 of an inning in his first outing, and though his next few outings were better, the damage had been done to his ERA. In five outings (52⁄3 innings) at Triple-A, Zanghi posted a 6.35 ERA, walking five while striking out six.
“A couple of bad outings, a couple of things didn’t go my way,” Zanghi reasoned. “But that’s baseball. Hopefully, down the road, there’ll be another opportunity. I’m going to go out there and compete as best as I can.”
On June 1, he was sent back to Double-A, where he’s continued his terrific pitching.
Beginning his season in Binghamton (where he had finished out the 2018 season ), Zanghi allowed exactly one earned run over his first 11 outings, covering 19 1⁄3 innings pitched. He entered Friday night’s action at Dunkin’ Donuts Park against the Yard Goats with a microscopic 0.81 ERA in 14 outings with the Rumble Ponies, though he picked a bad night to have his first rocky outing at this level in a while. In front of numerous family members and friends, Zanghi allowed four hits and three runs in 2⁄3 of an inning, raising his Binghamton ERA over a run to 1.96.
“I’m definitely happy with the way I’m throwing the ball, being aggressive, going after hitters,” he said, prior to Friday night’s game. “I’m just trying to throw strikes and pound the zone.”
If there’s one glitch in Zanghi’s season overall, it’s been his walk totals. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound righthander has issued 18 free passes in 282⁄3 innings between both levels.
“Right now, we’re trying to get him to get his fastball command back,” Binghamton pitching coach Jonathan Hurst said. “His slider plays off of it. He does have a changeup, as well, but his fastball and slider are his main two pitches right now that we’re really trying to get him back to command down in the zone.”
But Zanghi isn’t overly concerned with his walk total.
“I’m not gonna give guys free pitches down the middle because it’s a three-ball count,” he reasoned. “I’m gonna throw my best stuff whenever I can. Just working on the shapes of my pitches, trying to make each pitch a competitive pitch. That’s really what my main focus is right now.”
Zanghi is hardly the only player with Connecticut ties on the Binghamton roster. Former UConn lefty Anthony Kay, who was slated to start on Saturday night, is the ace of the staff and should be in Syracuse (or, possibly, Queens) soon. Simsbury’s Michael Gibbons was with Zanghi in the Rumble Ponies’ bullpen before being sent to the injured list a few weeks ago. Catcher Patrick Mazeika went to Salisbury School.
“There’s a Northeast presence in the Mets organization and on this team,” Zanghi said. “It’s fun. It’s a bond that we have with each other. We always joke about it.”
Zanghi’s goal for the rest of the summer?
“Keep competing, get all my pitches together. You never know. If [another promotion] happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, I’m just gonna keep going out there and doing what I can.”
SPECIAL KAY
Zanghi got to know Kay a little bit during his first semester at UConn in the fall of 2013 before transferring to Southern New Hampshire and, eventually, Cumberland County College. He marvels at what Kay, who entered Saturday night’s game 6-3 with a 1.62 ERA with Binghamton, has been able to accomplish this season.
“He’s fun to watch,” said Zanghi. “There’s not enough good things I can say about him. Just his attitude toward pitching, what he does when he pitches. It’s a marvel to watch him pitch.”
Zanghi’s not the only one to be impressed by Kay. Count Terry Collins, the former Mets manager who’s now a special assistant to the general manager, among Kay’s admirers.
“I’ve seen him twice, and I like a lot about him: Plusarm, plus-stuff,” Collins said. “It’s about thinking, continuing to work on your trade, get better, better command. That’s gonna be the key. The thing that makes those guys with good arms special is they command their stuff. If he gets command of his pitches, he’s gonna be really good.”
Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll learn where this year’s crop of 2019 MLB draftees with Connecticut ties get sent to begin their pro careers.
NEW FACES, DIFFERENT PLACES
UConn closer Jacob Wallace, taken in the third round by the Rockies, could wind up with the Hartford Yard Goats by season’s end if he continues his fast-rising trend. Fairfield’s Stephen Paolini, the highest-selected Connecticut native in this year’s draft (fifth round, Braves) has to decide whether to go pro or play at Elon College (though it sure sounded like he would be going pro earlier this week).
UConn’s Anthony Prato (seventh round, Twins), Yale/Trumbull’s Simon Whiteman (ninth round, Giants), UConn’s Mason Feole (11th round, Padres) and Yale’s Griffin Dey (23rd round, Tigers) are among the other players with local ties who’ll be dispersed around the country, likely to short-season or Rookie league affiliates. Dey could easily end up with the Connecticut Tigers in Norwich.
Meanwhile, some other locals recently changed addresses via promotion. East Windsor’s Aaron Civale (Indians) was promoted to Triple-A Columbus. CCSU product Ryan Costello (Twins) was bumped up to Double-A Pensacola, and Seymour’s Nick Kuzia was promoted to High-A Lake Elsinore.
Also, UConn product John Andreoli was traded from the Twins organization to the Mariners, where he spent part of last season. Andreoli was assigned to Triple-A Tacoma.