Nick Fanti in the game for Team Italy ! pic.twitter.com/XwOXsvQYCj
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) March 12, 2017
Nick Fanti, a 31st round pick out of Hauppauge HS in 2015 that has excelled in the minor leagues, had successful shoulder surgery today in Philadelphia. He stated that he is “excited to come back next season.”
The southpaw had a quick rise to prominence during the 2015 season in which he won the Carl Yastrzemski Award in a tight vote over Ward Melville 3B/RHP Joe Flynn. He was drafted in the 31st round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, opting to sign rather than fulfill his commitment to Marist College. He was the first of the four Long Island players to sign with the Phillies between 2015-’18. He was the recipient of the 2015 Steven Matz Award at our Awards Banquet as well.
Since that time, Fanti has performed extremely well, compiling a record of 20-6 with a 2.93 ERA over 218.1 IP. He has had some notable moments such as firing two no-hitters in 2016 and appearing in the World Baseball Classic for Team Italy and throwing a shutout innings against Puerto Rico in March 2017.
He was on the fast track in the minor leagues due to his success as a left-handed pitcher and youth. He had gotten off to a 17-3 start to his professional career by the age of 20. With the combination of those statistics and the struggles of the Phillies at the Major League level, it was conceivable to think he was a year or two away from the show.
Baseball being the cruel game that it is can have other plans. After an injury-shortened 2018 in which he notched only 28.2 IP, he will also have to regain his pre-injury form in 2019. Additionally, the Phillies are a rejuvenated ballclub and currently sit in 1st place in the NL East with a solid pitching staff that features the 3rd place finisher in the NL Cy Young (Aaron Nola) and the 2015 winner (Jake Arrieta).
Fanti is a composed, tough-nosed kid with an electric fastball and terrific command. This is not likely to be the last time we hear about him.
