Marlins' Neidert named AFL Pitcher of the Week
PHOENIX -- Nick Neidert finished his 2019 campaign strong and has continued to throw well over the first two weeks of the Arizona Fall League season.
Neidert was particularly strong in the second week of Fall League action, leading to him being named the league’s Pitcher of the Week for the week of Sept. 23-29.
“It’s pretty cool,” the Marlins’ No. 11 prospect said. “I didn’t really expect it, but it’s awesome. It’s a great recognition, and I had fun when I was out there. We’ve got a great team behind us. [The] catchers are fantastic, so I’ve got to give the credit to them.”
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Over the past week, Neidert made two starts and gave up one run on four hits over nine innings. He also walked two, struck out nine and picked up a pair of wins.
Overall, Neidert has made three starts in Arizona, going 2-0 with a 2.38 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP.
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The 22-year-old, whom the Marlins acquired from the Mariners in December 2017, is in the AFL to make up for lost time since he missed three months of the regular season after having surgery on the meniscus in his right knee.
Neidert returned to the mound in mid-July, but it took him a bit to truly feel like himself. The 2015 second-round Draft pick (60th overall) had a few rocky games over his first few appearances, but once he got rolling, Neidert showed he was the same pitcher who won the Marlins’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award in 2018.
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Overall, Neidert posted a 4.67 ERA over 13 starts (54 innings) this season, but that number is inflated by a few bad starts, as he gave up three earned runs or fewer in 10 of his 13 starts by utilizing a mid-90s fastball with late life, a plus changeup and a curveball that flashes above average.
“Just every day feeling consistent on pushing off from my back knee," Neidert said when asked about the difference of results, "because some days it’d feel great, some days it’d feel terrible, but that’s just part of coming back."
Niedert’s knee is feeling good now, and his results are proving that. With four weeks left in the AFL season, the right-hander is simply hoping to accumulate some more innings and continue to develop his three-pitch mix.
“Just finish strong, however many innings I get for the rest of the season,” Neidert said. “Just go out there, compete every single time out there, throw quality pitches and just have fun.”