ProfileHt.: 5'11" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School
Notre Dame
Drafted in the 9th round (257th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2004 (signed for $112,500).
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Unlike the other pitchers in Notre Dame's celebrated 2001 recruiting class, RHP Chris Niesel never had a significant injury. But he did not pitch as well this year as in his first two years, when he went 13-1, 2.95. His command, normally his strong suit, was off slightly and he went 7-2, 4.02. Size and a maximum-effort delivery have always been issues for the 6-foot, 205-pound Niesel, and with his mechanics a bit out of whack--he slows his delivery down when using a slide step--his pitches flattened out. A three-pitch pitcher with an 89-92 mph fastball, Niesel projects as an eighth- to 12th-round pick.
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