Nick Ciolli was one of two Indiana State prospects along with Brady Shoemaker drafted by the White Sox in the 2009 draft. They also selected a childhood friend of Ciolli’s, Josh Phegley, out of Indiana.

Ciolli was drafted in the 10th round which is right around where he was expected to be selected. Some publications thought he could go as high as the 6th, but most had him pegged around the 10th round. He played a lot of centerfield in college but is thought of as a corner outfielder at the next level due to a lack of speed, and conclusively, defensive range. It is this move that really hurts his prospect status because his bat is unlikely to play in a corner. Ciolli shows solid doubles power, but he hasn’t hit many home runs. He did hit for a very high average, though, at Indiana State, but his K:BB rate was an unremarkable 37:18. There are some holes in Ciolli’s swing which will need to be worked out and he has a tendency to get a little long at times.

There are things to like about Ciolli. He flashes solid tools across the board, but ultimately his lack of power and lack of walks mean his ceiling is probably as a 4th outfielder. Some scouts think the power will come and that he can develop into a solid #7 hitter, but I’d question whether a #7 hitter at left field or right field is really a starting caliber player because your corner outfielders should be two of your better hitters. At this point in the draft I think it was a solid but unspectacular pick, Ciolli certainly won’t make or break this draft class.