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IL St. Paul Saints

Nittoli Becomes Third to Double up as a Saint

September 1, 2021 - International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


COLUMBUS, OH - The Minnesota Twins announced on Wednesday that they have signed right-handed pitcher Vinny Nittoli to a minor league contract and assigned him to Saint Paul. He becomes the third player to play for the Saints as an independent team and an affiliated team, joining Drew Stankiewicz and Chris Nunn.

Nittoli had spent the 2021 season with the Seattle Mariners organization, making his Major League debut on June 23 against Colorado, pitching 1.0 inning and surrendering two runs. He spent the rest of the season with Triple-A Tacoma, where he went 3-3 with a 5.61 ERA. He started six of the 23 games he pitched in Triple-A. He started the season strong with a 1-0 record and a 2.70 ERA in the month of May.

In 2020, Nittoli was slated to spend Spring Training with the Toronto Blue Jays, pitching in one game for them prior to the shutdown. He finished out the 2019 season in the Blue Jays organization with Double-A New Hampshire. He went 3-2 with a 3.80 ERA in 29 games out of the bullpen. He opened the season in the Arizona Diamondbacks system, but after a short stint with Triple-A Reno he was released.

His first stint with the Saints came in 2017 and 2018. He had a successful 2018 campaign where he had a 3-2 record and a 3.21 ERA in the American Association. Across 28.2 innings he struck out 38 batters and walked just six. He also had a 12.2 K/9 innings, the best he has had at any level in his career between college, independent and affiliated baseball.

During the 2017 season with St. Paul, he went 2-3 with a 3.33 ERA and three saves in 34 relief appearances. In 46.0 innings pitched he walked 19 and struck out 55 while opponents hit .244 against him. He recorded a strikeout in 15 consecutive relief appearances from June 14-July 30, notching 25 K's in 20.2 innings pitched during that span. He then struck out multiple batters in nine straight appearances from August 8-September 2. Nittoli tossed 2.0 or more innings in 10 of his 34 appearances and didn't give up a run in six of those 10 appearances.

Nittoli was a 25th round selection by the Seattle Mariners in 2014 out of Xavier University. In 12 relief appearances that season at Low-A Everett he went 1-1 with a 4.03 ERA. He was placed on the disabled list late in the season and didn't begin 2015 until July 28. Nittoli pitched in just seven games in 2015 and was 0-0 with a 3.60 ERA.

Nittoli was impressive in 2016 between Single-A Clinton and High-A Bakersfield. Between the two stops he was 5-5 with a 3.88 ERA in 40 relief appearances. In 65.0 innings pitched he walked 23 and struck out 74 while opponents hit just .231 against him. He recorded at least one strikeout in his first 20 relief appearances at High-A Bakersfield. He did not give up an earned run in 18 of his 31 appearances at Bakersfield and pitched at least 2.0 innings 18 different times.

The Saints roster now consists of 32 players, 18 pitchers and 14 position players with four on the injured list and three Major League rehab assignments in Randy Dobnak, Luke Farrell and Derek Law.

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