Nick Neidert: Marlin on the Rise

Nick Neidert is a 6’1”, 180 lb. 21-year-old pitcher from Suwanee, Georgia. Born on November 20th, 1996, he was chosen in the second round of the 2015 draft by the Seattle Mariners, with the 60th overall selection out of Peachtree High School. The Marlins got him along with current #14 organizational prospect Christopher Torres in exchange for Dee Gordon and some international slot money on December 7th.

After his selection, Neidert joined the rotation with the Arizona League Mariners, in the rookie-level AZL. In 11 starts he posted an 0-2 record, with a 1.53 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and 23 whiffs in 35 ¹⁄₃ innings. His best stretch of his first look came spanning the two starts he made on July 25th and August 2nd, when he tossed eight innings and allowed one hit, striking out six in a pair of wins.

Neidert skipped the short-season A-level Everett Aqua Sox in favor of the Midwest League’s single-A Clinton LumberKings, and joined a rotation featuring Pablo Lopez and Lukas Schiraldi, both now also part of Miami’s system. Nick racked up a 7-3 record and a 2.57 ERA in 19 starts, striking out 69 in 91 innings and posting a 0.97 WHIP while holding opposing batters to a miserly .225/.266/.333 slashline. In a three-game span from June 23rd through July 3rd, Neidert went 3-0 with 25 strikeouts, allowing just 13 hits in 21 innings. The Nuts went 86-54, winning the Western Division title outright and getting through two playoff rounds before losing in the finals to the Great Lakes Loons.

Neidert joined the high-A rotation for the Modesto Nuts in the California League beginning in 2017, and tracked a much improved 9.40 K/9 rate with 109 strikeouts in 104 ¹⁄₃ innings pitched over 19 starts. He went 10-3 with a 2.76 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and a .244/.287/.350 opposing slashline. On April 11th, he struck out eight in six innings, allowing just one hit and zero walks in a 6-0 win over the Stockton Ports. On May 28th, he pitched six no-hit innings, allowing just a walk and whiffing nine Giants in a 1-0, 10-inning loss to San Jose. On June 8th, he struck out 11 in 6 ²⁄₃ innings, but drew the loss in a 5-0 setback to the Ports. Modesto won the North Division with a 74-68 record, although Neidert had been called up to join the double-A Arkansas Travelers in mid-July.

Here’s Neidert early in the 2017 campaign:

And a quick interview from the Modesto Bee:

Neidert was less impressive at the more advanced level, allowing an opposing slashline of .324/.361/.480 over 23 ¹⁄₃ innings, with a 1-3 record over six starts. He struck out 13 and allowed a 6.56 ERA, with a 1.63 WHIP.

I got roughed up a little bit when I got to Double-A, but at the same time, I definitely learned a lot from those guys there, and from pitching. I think it definitely helped me this offseason to prepare for the upcoming season to be even better than I was this past year. - Neidert, to MLB.COM

Upon learning that the Marlins acquired him in the trade, Neidert expressed his gratitude:

Neidert will start the 2018 campaign helping to anchor the rotation of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.