Cape Cod Baseball League Prospect Report

The Top 40: The Best Prospects in the CCBL 2010

2010-09-30T16:27:00.001-04:00

Overall, it was down year for the league in 2010. There was not any clear #1 prospect, like in years past (think: Evan Longoria in 2005, Matt Wieters in 2006, Chris Sale in 2009). The pitching talent was not as impressive as usual. Most of the top talent slated for Cape rosters at the start of the summer either left early for Team USA or did not show up at all. However, with that being said, there is great depth in the 2011 draft class and it showed on the Cape. The depth of position players really struck me as impressive. I think baseball executives will be talking about this draft for a long time.

Quick notes:
I decided to NOT include CCBL players that were drafted and signed this year (notably Anthony Ranaudo, Daniel Burawa, and Michael Goodnight). Ranaudo would have likely been the #1 prospect.
In my list I will indicate the projected draft position for the 2011 or 2012 drafts. This is not where I would personally pick them, but rather where they are likely to be selected by a MLB team.
All stat lines include the regular season and the playoffs and/or the all-star game, if applicable.

1. Logan Verrett, RHP, Chatham/Baylor,
CCBL Stat Line: 0.87 ERA, 41.1 IP, 34K/5BB, 22 H, 1HRA
Comments:
Projected Draft Position (2011):
Video Link:

2. Jed Bradley
CCBL Stat Line: 1.98 ERA, 41.0 IP, 44K/6BB, 33 H, 5HRA

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

3. Austin Wood

CCBL Stat Line: 0.89 ERA, 50.2 IP, 39K/22BB, 27 H, 1HRA

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

4. Levi Michael

CCBL Stat Line: .248 AVG, 129 ABs, 32 H, 7 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 15BB/23K, 4SB/1CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

5. Andrew Susac

CCBL Stat Line: .269 AVG, 108 ABs, 29 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 14BB/28K, 1SB/0CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

6. Tony Zych

CCBL Stat Line: 0.74 ERA, 24.1 IP, 29K/3BB, 27 H, 0 HRA

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

7. Joe Panik

CCBL Stat Line: .297 AVG, 175 ABs, 52 H, 9 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 23BB/15K, 11SB/0CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

8. Deven Marrero

CCBL Stat Line: .328 AVG, 122 ABs, 40 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 14BB/24K, 7SB/2CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2012):

Video Link:

9. Grayson Garvin

CCBL Stat Line: 1.06 ERA, 42.1 IP, 42K/12BB, 26 H, 1 HRA

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

10. Kolten Wong

CCBL Stat Line: .331AVG, 139 ABs, 46 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 18BB/13K, 22SB/7CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

11. Barrett Barnes

CCBL Stat Line: .226 AVG, 124 ABs, 28 H, 9 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 22BB/45K, 7SB/2CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

12. Ryan Carpenter

CCBL Stat Line: 2.51 ERA, 43 IP, 47K/12BB, 37 H, 1 HRA

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link: http://baseballbeginnings.com/2010/07/08/ryan-carpenter-video

13. Andrew Gagnon

CCBL Stat Line: 2.04 ERA, 39.2 IP, 43K/17BB, 31 H, 3 HRA

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

14. Zach MacPhee

CCBL Stat Line: .250 AVG, 80 ABs, 20 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 18BB/13K, 5SB/3CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

15. Marcus Stroman

CCBL Stat Line: 0.00 ERA, 29 IP, 36K/3BB, 13 H, 0 HRA

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

16. Matt Skole

CCBL Stat Line: .247 AVG, 150 ABs, 37 H, 11 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 17BB/39K, 3SB/0CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

17. Jack Armstrong

CCBL Stat Line: 3.14 ERA, 51.2 IP, 45K/22BB, 41 H, 1 HRA

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

18. Anthony Meo

CCBL Stat Line: 3.09 ERA, 32 IP, 24K/14BB, 21 H, 0 HRA

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

19. Johnny Ruettiger

CCBL Stat Line: .353 AVG, 116 ABs, 41 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 9BB/9K, 11SB/6CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

20. Jason Coats

CCBL Stat Line: .337 AVG, 95 ABs, 32 H, 10 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 9BB/20K, 2SB/2CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

21. Pratt Maynard

CCBL Stat Line: .241 AVG, 116 ABs, 28 H, 7 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 34BB/23K, 1SB/1CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

22. Brian Goodwin

CCBL Stat Line: .275 AVG, 120 ABs, 33 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 16BB/21K, 15SB/4CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2012):

Video Link:

23. Zach Wilson

CCBL Stat Line: .291 AVG, 127 ABs, 37 H, 7 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 20BB/29K, 2SB/0CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

24. Aaron Westlake
CCBL Stat Line: .294 AVG, 109 ABs, 32 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 8BB/29K, 1SB/0CS
Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

25. Jordan Ribera

CCBL Stat Line: .273 AVG, 176 ABs, 28 H, 14 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 21BB/32K, 3SB/1CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

26. RJ Alvarez

CCBL Stat Line: 1.40 ERA, 25.2 IP, 33K/9BB, 14 H, 0 HRA

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

27. Daniel Bowman

CCBL Stat Line: .208 AVG, 125 ABs, 26 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 32BB/7K, 4SB/0CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

28. Ricky Oropesa

CCBL Stat Line: .222 AVG, 153 ABs, 34 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 7 HR, 24BB/52K, 0SB/0CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

29. Nick Martini

CCBL Stat Line: .253 AVG, 146 ABs, 37 H, 6 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 26BB/25K, 8SB/3CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

30. Steve Selsky

CCBL Stat Line: .270 AVG, 141 ABs, 38 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 7 HR, 22BB/44K, 5SB/0CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

31. Kyle Simon

CCBL Stat Line: 1.37 ERA, 46 IP, 23K/10BB, 29 H, 0 HRA

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

32. Josh Elander

CCBL Stat Line: .203 AVG, 64 ABs, 13 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4BB/14K, 0SB/2CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

33. Brady Rodgers

CCBL Stat Line: 2.54 ERA, 39.0 IP, 41K/9BB, 32 H, 1 HRA

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

34. Colton Murray

CCBL Stat Line: 0.74 ERA, 22.2 IP, 30K/8BB, 20 H, 0 HRA

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

35. Cohl Walla

CCBL Stat Line: .235 AVG, 98 ABs, 23 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 6BB/30K, 6SB/1CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

36. Jayce Boyd

CCBL Stat Line: .224 AVG, 107 ABs, 24 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 9BB/17K, 3SB/0CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

37. Tyler Pill

CCBL Stat Line: .245 AVG, 106 ABs, 26 H, 8 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 5BB/18K, 0SB/2CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

38. Max Muncy

CCBL Stat Line: .243 AVG, 152 ABs, 37 H, 11 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 23BB/28K, 2SB/1CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

39. Kevin Medrano

CCBL Stat Line: .315 AVG, 143 ABs, 45 H, 9 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 12BB/30K, 9SB/4CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

40. Andy Burns

CCBL Stat Line: .205 AVG, 161 ABs, 33 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 22BB/37K, 25SB/4CS

Comments:

Projected Draft Position (2011):

Video Link:

Orleans Firebirds Top 5 Prospects

2010-09-09T12:46:00.002-04:00

Orleans Firebirds:

1. Kolten Wong, Hawaii:
· The 2010 CCBL MVP, Wong was definitely one of the top hitters this summer. Was able to consistently hit for average and also showed off some power with 3 home runs while drawing 18 BB's compared to only 13 K's. Savvy baserunner with excellent speed which drove other teams crazy. Projects as a 2B in the majors, but can also play the outfield. With such a good summer, Wong should be moving up a lot of draft boards into possibly the top 2 rounds.

2. Marcus Stroman, Duke:
· Despite size (5'9"), has been dominant as top reliever for Orleans. Consistent delivery/mechanics allows for good command of heavy fastball (94-97 mph). Ridiculous 32/3 K/BB ratio and .312 Opp OPS over 25 innings pitched. Excellent slider (83-87 mph) with sharp movement keeps hitters off balance. Needs to improve getting ahead in the count, although it's tough to find anything wrong with someone who didn't allow a run all summer. I believe he can be a very effective reliever and possible closer at the major league level.

3. Jason Esposito, Vanderbilt:
· Esposito might have been higher on this list had he not left early for Team USA. However, from what I saw, he looked like an excellent fielding third baseman who also shows some serious power potential at the plate to go along with speed on the basepaths. Hit 12 HR's during his sophomore year at Vanderbilt leading the team in slugging %, and was also 31/35 in stolen base attempts.

4. Kyle Simon, Arizona:
· Simon proved to be very tough to hit this summer (.169 Opp SLG) despite the fact that he pitches to contact (19 K's in 39 IP). Shows good life on his fastball (89-93 mph) with command of both sides of the plate, but will need to improve his secondary pitched if he wants to increase his strikeout numbers. Projects as a solid 4-5 starter at the major league level.

5. Steve Selsky, Arizona:
· Coming off a very strong sophomore season at Arizona where he led the Wildcats in just about every offensive category, Selsky continued that success for the Firebirds. He showed off his ability to hit for power by leading the team in both home runs and extra base hits while also drawing 20 walks. There were times when his swing looked long though, which might be the reason for the large number of strikeouts. Solid arm from the outfield and also showed decent speed by going 5-5 in SB attempts.

Other players to watch:
Ryan Carpenter, Gonzaga
Mitchell Lambson, Arizona State

The Patriotic Crew

2010-08-23T13:22:00.009-04:00

Here is a ranking of the 8 guys that were called on by Team USA to represent their country in international play after starting the summer on the Cape. The national team ended up losing to Cuba in the finals in 10 innings. This group leaving definitely hurt the Cape's overall talent pool. I'd venture to say that all of them were in the top 30 in terms of prospects on the Cape:

1. Matt Barnes, RHP, Wareham/UConn, Height: 6-04, Weight: 203

Ideal pitcher's body, great, loose arm action and repeatable delivery. Four pitches with varying command and feel for them all. He was the top pitcher in the CCBL for me. He maintains his low-90's FB deep into games (tops out at 96), which has good movement. The pitch can be his out pitch, along with his slider (more of a slurve, but he throws a slower curve). He seems to improve every start. He'll be a 1st round, possibly in the top 15 picks. If he improves his strength in his lower half, I think there is potential for more velocity.

2. George Springer, OF, Wareham/UConn , Height: 6-03, Weight: 200

Elite athleticism and strength in his wiry frame. Potential 5-tool player. Tremendous bat speed with good pop for his size. He has an unorthodox stance that concerns me a little. His approach and plate discipline can improve. Another Huskie that is sure to go in the 1st round.

3. Jason Esposito, 3B, Orleans/Vanderbilt, Height: 6-01, Weight: 198

Made Team USA when Anthony Rendon injured his ankle. Esposito has an above-average glove at third with a strong throwing arm. Good overall player. He has a some power and makes good contact. Nothing about his game is exceptional however.

4. Ryan Wright, 2B/SS, Bourne/Louisville, Height: 6-01, Weight: 198

Good bat with surprising power. Hand-eye coordination is exceptional. I like his approach. Average defender at short, above-average at second-base. He just gets it done and plays the game the right way. I see him as Dustin Pedroia-type talent.

5. Mikie Mahtook, OF, Harwich/LSU, Height 6-01, Weight: 196

Superb athlete (football and baseball star in HS) possessing plus speed, strong arm, and good defensive skills and range in the outfield. All questions will revolve around his bat. He has power, but teams will worry if he'll hit enough at the next level given the high number of strikeouts. With his athletic ability, I'd be surprised if he doesn't.

6. CJ Cron, C/1B/DH, Cotuit/Utah, Height 6-04 Weight: 230

Plus power and plus hit average. He won't stay behind the plate. 1B/DH is likely. He left the Cape with a knee injury before the Team USA trials. He didn't play on the team because of the injury, but he would've surely made the roster - especially when his coach at Utah was the national team manager. For that reason, I put him on this list.

7. Alex Dickerson, 1B, Wareham/Indiana, Height: 6-03, Weight: 210

He'll hit for AVG. He can spray the ball all over the field and has plus pull-power. Advance hitter and approach. None of his other tools stand out. Fringe speed, average glove, average arm. It's all about the bat with Dickerson. Some don’t like the swing – I think it’ll play at the next level.

8. Brett Mooneyham, LHP, Y-D/Stanford, Height 6-05, Weight: 235

Big lefty that works in the low 90's. Yes, please. Except for one thing - Mooneyham has yet to have complete command of his pitches. He also doesn't have an out pitch (at least, for me, his slider isn't) and mostly pitches to contact. I have my doubts that he will ever put it all together. But some teams will fall in love with the body, velo, and his left-arm.

Best Control/Command: Top 5

2010-08-20T13:44:00.000-04:00

These are the top guys that rarely miss the strike zone or their spots:

1.     Matt Sisto, RHP, Orleans/Hawaii, Height: 6-05, Weight: 230
CCBL IPs: 38.2
CCBL BBs: 2
2.     Derek Self, RHP, Chatham/Louisville, Height: 6-02, Weight: 195
CCBL IPs: 42
CCBL BBs: 3
3.     Max Pearlman, RHP, Wareham/Harvard, Height: 6-07, Weight: 230
CCBL IPs: 51.2
CCBL BBs: 6
4.     Tyler Ray, RHP, Hyannis/Troy, Height: 6-01, Weight: 180
CCBL IPs: 46.2
CCBL BBs: 6
5.     Austin Lubinsky, RHP, Brewster/Minnesota, Height 6-01, Weight: 195
CCBL IPs: 42.1
CCBL BBs: 4

Most Speed: Top 10

2010-08-20T13:04:00.011-04:00

Here are the top guys that had their PF Flyers on for summer. I wasn't able to do any stopwatch work so this list is from pure observation and therefore I won't rank them:

Brian Goodwin, OF, Harwich/UNC, Height: 6-0, Weight: 190

CCBL SBs: 15
NCAA SBs: 7

Scott Woodward, OF, Bourne/Coastal Carolina, Height: 6-02, Weight: 205

CCBL SBs: 20
NCAA SBs: 55

Michael Faulkner, OF, Cotuit/Arkansas St., Height: 5-08, Weight: 155

CCBL SBs: 8 (arrived late)
NCAA SBs: 23

Nick Ahmed, SS, Bourne/UConn, Height: 6-02, Weight: 200

CCBL SBs: 17
NCAA SBs: 34

Andy Burns, 3B, Brewster/Kentucky, Height: 6-02, Weight: 185

CCBL SBs: 25 (led league)
NCAA SBs: 7

Caleb Ramsey, OF, Y-D/Houston, Height: 6-03, Weight: 202

CCBL SBs: 22
NCAA SBs: 10

Kolten Wong, OF/IF, Orleans/Hawaii, Height: 5-09, Weight: 190

CCBL SBs: 22
NCAA SBs: 19

Drew Martinez, OF, Brewster/Memphis, Height: 5-10, Weight: 170

CCBL SBs: 20
NCAA SBs: 19

Aaron Conway, OF, Harwich/Missouri St., Height: 5-08, Weight: 170

CCBL SBs: 16
NCAA SBs: 24

Ronnie Richardson, OF, Harwich/UCF, Height: 5-07, Weight: 175

CCBL SBs: 13
NCAA SBs: 12

Most Power: Top 5

2010-08-19T16:09:00.001-04:00

Let's take a look at the sluggers who enjoyed trotting around the bases this summer on the Cape:

1.     Jordan Ribera, 1B, Y-D/Fresno State, Height: 6-0, Weight: 220
Most consistent power hitter. Hit league-leading 10 total HRs on Cape and a nation's best 27 HRs at school. Fly ball producing stroke that generates good loft and backspin.
CCBL HRs: 10
NCAA HRs: 27
2.     Paul Hoilman, 3B, Cotuit/East Tenn, Height: 6-05, Weight: 240
Winner of NCAA and CCBL home run derbies. Large frame and country-boy strength combine for impressive power. Lack of in-game home run production is a concern.
CCBL HRs: 2
NCAA HRs: 17
3.     Ricky Oropesa, 1B, Chatham/USC, Height: 6-03, Weight: 225
Might have the most raw power. Witnessed a mammoth shot that few others in history of the wooden bat league could match. Long stroke has many holes.
CCBL HRs: 7
NCAA HRs: 20
4.     Daniel Bowman, OF, Bourne/Coastal Carolina, Height: 6-01, Weight: 210
Dead pull hitter can hit the long ball with the best of them. Ball can explode off his bat. Great bat speed and strength. Impatient hitter that only looks to pull the ball.
CCBL HRs: 5
NCAA HRs: 15
5.     Aaron Westlake, 1B, Chatham/Vanderbilt, Height 6-04, Weight: 235
Sweet left stroke creates great loft on ball. Just looks like a big-league hitter. Not much room for power projection.
CCBL HRs: 5
NCAA HRs: 14

Best Fastball: Top 5

2010-08-17T15:34:00.004-04:00

These are the guys with the best heaters in league (velocity, movement, command all taken into consideration). I'll have a quick note on each:

1.     Tony Zych, RHP, Bourne/Louisville, Height: 6-03, Weight: 175
Pure power, 94-97mph, good arm-side run, consistently gets swings and misses. Must improve command.
2.     Austin Wood, RHP, Cotuit/St. Petersburg, Height: 6-04, Weight: 220
Sits 92-95, with ability to touch 98. Highest recorded velocity on Cape. Locates fairly well.
3.     Marcus Stroman, RHP, Orleans/Duke, Height: 5-09, Weight: 180
Electric fastball that explodes out his hand with ease. At 94-97mph and with his small stature, ball appears to rise on its way to the plate.
4.     R.J. Alvarez, RHP, Bourne/ Florida Atlantic, Height: 6-01, Weight: 180
Hard to see, hard to hit. Alverez tosses a 94-97mph fastball across his body     with good life. Like his teammate Zych, he needs to improve his control.
5.     Anthony Meo, RHP, Bourne/Coast Carolina, Height: 6-02, Weight: 185
Highest average velocity FB for a starter other than Wood. Full-effort delivery produces a darting, arrow-straight, fastball. Still struggles with command.

Side Note:
Yes, Bourne had 3 of the top 5 flamethrowers and possibly 5 or 6 of the top 10.
Kyle McMyne could bring it up to 95 (no control) and Mike Morin and Grayson Garvin lived in the low 90's too.

Cape League in Review: The Best of the Best

2010-08-17T10:28:00.000-04:00

Over the course of the next few days, I will highlight the top 30 prospects overall, the top 3 by position, the most surprising and disappointing summers, the best "small school" prospects, and all the best tools: speed, power, hit for avg, etc.

Enjoy!

August 4th - Bourne @ Wareham

2010-08-05T09:23:00.005-04:00

Bourne - 4

Wareham - 2

Last night in Wareham the Bourne Braves took on the Gatemen and prevailed in a come-back effort to give Will Roberts of Virginia his first win of the Summer. Roberts, a projectable (6-5, 210 lbs.) right-handed pitcher from the University of Virgina, had been used exclusively out of the bullpen until last night. Although his fastball has been clocked in the upper 80s out of the 'pen, he sat in the 85-87 range last night and touched 89 with fair life. He features a slider that at times in relief was a swinging-miss type pitch, a curveball with fair spin, and a decent change-up. He used all four pitches well, using the slider and change-up off the fastball while mixing in a few curveballs to keep the Wareham hitters honest. Despite not having electric stuff, he kept hitters back for better part of his six innings (6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K).

Although you should know his name by now, since this is a blog about prospects I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Bourne's closer from Louisville, Tony Zych. With a two run lead in the ninth inning, Manager Harvey Shapiro brought in the right-handed flamethrower in a fitting way to close out the regular season for the Braves. A single, a bloop single and a an error put him in a tight spot with the bases loaded and no outs, but he breezed through the next two batters by striking them out and then retired the last batter of the game on a pop-out to the third baseman. All season long he's been around 92-96, touching 97 at times with superb life. He doesn't have an ideal arm action but it will play in the bullpen because it's so quick. His tight slider is inconsistent now but it projects to be a plus pitch, and I have little doubt it will get there. In my mind I have to think that he and Stroman (Orleans, Duke) are two of the top closers on the Cape this Summer.

I'll mention one other arm before I get to my two featured players of the game. Erik Miller (6-4, 213 lbs.) of TCU has had a rough season (13.50 ERA, 8 IP) thus far but in the ninth inning he came on in relief and showed the makings of a potential Major League middle reliever. Despite a long arm action, his delivery is solid and what I liked about him is he comes from such a low arm slot. His fastball had nice velocity (90-91) for this point in the year and his slider shows the potential of being a very tough pitch to right-handed batters. He threw just one change-up last night and right now I see it being a third pitch that he could mix in to left-handed batters when he needs to show them a different look.

Now, here are two players who stood out to me as interesting prospects...

Zach Wilson (6-1, 195), a sophomore from Arizona State (although he is listed as a 1B/3B, he played in LF last night), is clearly the Gatemen's best hitter right now (Springer and Dickerson would have had something to say about that before they left for Team USA). He's a nice athlete and although he gets fair reads on balls, he's below average defensively with a well below average arm (which may force him to stay on the dirt at 1B). That is almost irrelevant though because of his bat. There's definitely power in there (5 HRs this Summer), but I especially like his balanced approach in the box. More often than not he'll swing at the right pitches to swing at and he reads spin out of the hand well. He has the hands to react to fastballs and he generally will not expand the zone, although I think he presses at times. For example, late in the game he swung through a high curveball because he lost his swing plane, most likely trying to jack HR number six. Those are just details though and I have to think that he'll be in a Major League line-up one day, given his natural tools.

The other player I'd like to mention here is Max Muncy (6-0, 195), a freshman 1B from Baylor. He was a catcher coming out of high school and there were concerns about his ability to stay there, but I think he has made the transition to 1B quite well. He committed an error last night on a ball that just stayed down on him but during infield-outfield he looked comfortable with the glove. He moves pretty well and I wonder if he could make the move to either 2B or 3B because I wonder about his height at 1B. Regardless, his ability to hit is his strongest tool. The first time I saw him in BP I though he was too long but after watching him against live pitching, my opinion certainly shifted. Much like Wilson, he shows nice balance and he sees spin well. I think he knows his zone and he doesn't really swing outside of it too often. Even though he's just a freshman, I thought he had a very mature approach and I think that makes his swing play up. With the two of these guys hitting back-to-back in the line-up, they give Wareham a good chance to squeak out two wins against the Braves this weekend in the first round of the play-offs.

Chatham Anglers Top 5 Prospects

2010-07-30T20:02:00.002-04:00

I forgot to mention that I will be using some of the statistics/data collected from these games for Inside Edge, and also that I will be adding video links for some of the players.

Chatham Anglers:
1. Logan Verrett, Baylor:
· Has clearly been Chatham’s top pitcher this season with his 1.05 ERA and 0.76 WHIP over 34.33 innings pitched. Verrett throws all 5 of his pitches for strikes on a consistent basis, and has kept hitters off balance using mostly his slider and changeup while mixing in the occasional curveball or splitter. Tends to work away from most hitters, but has shown the ability to come inside when necessary (especially against right-handed hitters). Fastball velocity is fine at 88-93 mph, and doesn’t lose much as the game goes on since he is so efficient (averaged 3.5 pitches/plate appearance through first 3 starts). Excellent K/BB ratio of 30/5, and has only allowed 3 extra base hits the whole season, so it’s easy to see why Verrett has been so successful.

2. Aaron Westlake, Vanderbilt:
· Westlake has proven that he can hit for both power and average this season against tough pitching (.291 AVG, .481 SLG). His plate discipline is somewhat of a concern though. He tends to chase a lot of pitches up out of the strike zone, and his 20/5 K/BB ratio is pretty bad, even for a power hitter. His big frame naturally projects him as a first baseman, but he seems to be athletic enough to possibly play a corner outfield position as well.

3. Rick Oropesa, USC:
· Oropesa could arguably have the most raw power of anyone in the Cape League this season, and is able to drive the ball to all parts of the field. However, he has struck out in 35% of his at-bats so far this summer (Ryan Howard of the Phillies strikes out in 25% of his at-bats), and has not been a good hitter with 2 strikes (chases 57% of pitches out of the zone with 2 strikes). He has been able to draw walks and get on base though as shown by his .340 OBP despite only hitting .211. He is also very athletic for his size, which makes him a much better fielder than I expected.

4. Derek Self, Louisville:
· Self has shown incredible command allowing only 3 walks in 36 innings, but only 13 K's. His Opp. BA of .203 and Opp. SLG of .271 are a product of him pitching to contact so much, but those numbers will almost certainly be higher once he starts facing pro hitters. However, if he continues to develop his secondary pitches and control both sides of the plate, I believe he can be an effective pro starter.

5. Brian Humphries, Pepperdine:
· Relatively low .246 BA might be unlucky considering "well-hit avg" is .260 (over 50 points higher than MLB avg). Has shown that he can hit for power, as he leads the Anglers in extra base hits (10 doubles, 1 HR). Biggest concern is plate discipline. 31/9 K/BB ratio is not very good for someone consistently hitting at the top of the order. Only 7 BB's in 220 at-bats this season at Pepperdine as well.

Other players to watch:
Chris Munnelly, North Carolina
Matt Brazis, Boston College

E.J. Brown CCBL Player Rankings

2010-07-30T19:51:00.002-04:00

For the past two summers, Alex and I have been charting Cape League games for Inside Edge together. We have seen more than 30 games each this summer alone, so we feel that we have a good grasp of the talent level across the league. Alex added me as a contributor to his blog, so I thought I would give my own rankings for each team to see how they compared to his. I am ranking each team's top five pro prospects, but to be clear, these have nothing to do with draft eligibility or anything else. I will post one team at a time, with my analysis of each of the players in my top five. The first team will be the Chatham Anglers, who I have probably seen the most out of any other team this summer.

Top 5 Prospects for each CCBL team

2010-07-26T11:28:00.002-04:00

Ranking players is always fun, so why not rate the top 5 prospects for each team.

Bourne

Zack MacPhee, 2B
Tony Zych, RHP (closer)
Ryan Wright, 2B
Daniel Bowman, OF
Grayson Garvin, RHP

Brewster

Drew Gagnon, RHP
Mike Palazzone, RHP
Cohl Walla, OF
Drew Martinez, OF
Troy Channing, SS

** I didn't consider Anthony Ranaudo eligible for this list. He would be the top prospect however.

Chatham

Logan Verrett, RHP
Aaron Westlake, 1B
Ricky Oropesa, 1B
Mark Ginther, 3B
Stephen Perez, SS

Cotuit

CJ Cron, C
Zach Cone, OF
Paul Hoilman, 3B
Nick Tropeano, RHP
Austin Wood, RHP

Falmouth

Matt Skole, 3B
Andrew Susac, C
Barrett Barnes, OF
Nick Martini, OF
B.A. Vollmuth, IF

Harwich

Mikie Mahtook, OF
Taylor Dugas, OF
Levi Michael, INF
Steven Proscia, 3B
Pratt Maynard, C

Hyannis

Johnny Ruettiger, OF
Cam Seitzer, 1B
Tyler Ray, RHP
Casey McElroy, SS
Tyler Mizenko, RHP

Orleans

Kolten Wong, 2B
Jason Esposito, 3B
Ryan Carpenter, LHP
Marcus Stroman, RHP
Kyle Simon, RHP
*** I'm not big on Preston Tucker. Too many holes in his swing, bad body.

Wareham

Matt Barnes, RHP
Alex Dickerson, OF
George Springer, OF
Jed Bradley, LHP
Jack Armstrong, RHP

Y-D

Brett Mooneyham, LHP
Michael Goodnight, RHP
Joe Panik, SS
Dusty Robinson, OF
Tyler Hanover, INF

At the end of the season, I will rank the top 30 prospects in the CCBL.

June 27th - Bourne @ Orleans

2010-06-28T21:07:00.125-04:00

Bourne 2, Orleans 1
Bourne 3, Orleans 1

For the second time this summer, the CCBL had a set of scheduled doubleheaders. I'm not crazy about the idea because it gives the game a high school feel since the games only last 7 innings. But if it gives the players a few more days off, I understand the reasoning behind it. As indicated by the scores, both games were dominated by the pitching. I have yet to see a game where the offense has really shined. I expect the bats to start coming around in the next few weeks, especially with the guys from the CWS showing up. I am going to highlight two players that were consensus Freshman All-Americans a year ago and then had superb sophomore years at their schools. For sure these two will hear their names in the first few rounds of next year's draft.

Player of Highlight
Ryan Wright, Bourne/Louisville, 2B/SS, Soph., Fort Wayne, IN, Draft Eligible: 2011
Height: 6-01, Weight: 198

Game Stats (2): 6AB, 1H, 3RBI, 0BB, 0K
College Season Stats: .366AVG, 17 2B, 16HR, 80RBI, .413OBP, .638OBP, 20/26 BB/K

Comments: Ryan Wright is a versatile prospect from Louisville, who will most likely end up as a second baseman (although he has a chance to stay at short). His first spring with Louisville was noteworthy when Wright started 60 games for the Cardinals at 4 different positions: LF, RF, 3B, and SS. He hit .335AVG, 5HR, and 66 RBI and was named a Freshman All-American. This year he started at short and led Louisville in most offensive categories. He had a 1.051 OPS and a .449 wOBA, two stats which shout future success at the next level. He has some speed with 22 stolen bases during his two years. Wright is a Team USA invitee.

Wright has a great bat. He has quick, strong hands and his bat speed is faster than most on the Cape. He does wrap the bat around his head slightly, but it is easily correctable. His glove is a huge asset in the middle infield. He has good range and is sure-handed at either SS or 2B. But his arm is average, which is why I think he'll eventually move to 2B.

I think undoubtedly Wright is one of the top 50 players in the country eligible for the next year's draft. He has produced at all levels. If Wright is moved to second, he possess 3 plus tools (average arm and speed) at the position and it's where he will be most valuable.

Pitcher of Highlight
Anthony Meo, Bourne, Coastal Carolina, RHP, Soph., Cranston, RI, Draft Eligible: 2011
Height: 6-01, Weight: 180

Game Stats: 6IP, 0ER, 4H, 1BB, 6K

College Season Stats: 13-2, 2.61ERA, 96.7IP, 6HRA, 94/34 K/BB, 1.20WHIP, 8.75 K/9

Comments: Anthony Meo is one of the top flame-throwers in the collegiate ranks. Meo is originally from Rhode Island, and it's always good to see a New England guy succeed. Of course, success would be a great understatement to what Meo has accomplished in his two seasons at Coastal Carolina. The right-hander has been down right oppressive to hitters, completing two of the best pitching seasons in CCU history. Meo was a Freshman All-American after posting a 9-2 record and 2.93ERA with 68K and only 32BB. This spring Meo was arguably the best college pitcher in the nation as his stats above indicate. He was accordingly named Big South Pitcher of the Year and District IV Player of the Year by the NCBWA. He has been invited to the Team USA try-outs.

Meo does not have overwhelming size. He stands 6-foot-1 and only weighs 180. Without question he will have to add some strength to his frame in the future. He pitches from a high 3/4 to almost a straight overhead arm angle and uses a full-effort delivery (which could scare some clubs off). His fastball is a bullet and sits about 92-94 with glimpses of 95 and 96. Two negatives are his fastball is quite straight with little movement and he has a tendency to leave it up in the zone too much. He compliments his fastball with a hard cutter at 87-89mph. The pitch has significant break for a cutter at that speed. Meo's off-speed stuff needs work however. His change and curve are basically non-existent and he doesn't have much confidence in them. He will surely need to add those pitches to his regular repertoire if he is to remain a starter. Otherwise, Meo could fit nicely into a MLB bullpen with his arm strength.

If Meo goes onto dominate the Cape or on Team USA, his stock could soar as high as late first-round. Even with some slip-ups, he is lock to go in the first few rounds.

Others to Watch:

Scott Woodward (Bourne/Coastal Carolina)
Tommy LaStella (Bourne/Coastal Carolina) .... Bourne has to be quite pleased with this trio from CCU
Tony Zych (Bourne/Louisville)...consistently touching 95-96.

Around the Cape:

Jack Armstrong (Wareham/Vanderbilt) is back on the Cape. Look for him to have another strong summer.

Where I'll Be Next:

Orleans, June 30th

June 23rd - Hyannis @ Orleans

2010-06-27T13:43:00.003-04:00

Hyannis 3, Orleans 0

Yesterday I charted the Gatemen vs. Firebirds game at the very buggy and muggy Eldredge Park in Orleans, MA. Quite a few scouts were on hand again. The game was a bit of a snoozer as I only counted 3 or 4 hard hit balls all night. The two starters, Tyler Ray and Kyle Simon of Hyannis and Orleans, respectively, kept the hitters off balance all night. However, their stuff was less than impressive, so I decided to highlight two other prospects on each side.

Pitcher of Highlight
Dallas Gallant, Hyannis/Sam Houston St., RHP, Jr., Trinity, TX, Draft Eligible: 2010
Height: 6-03, Weight: 193

Game Stats: 1.1IP, 0H, 0ER, 2K, 1BB

College Season Stats: 3-8, 4.82ERA, 84IP, 78/40 K/BB, 1.44WHIP, 8.39 K/9, 4.55FIP

Comments: Dallas Gallant is a Cape returnee, coming off a sophomore slump season at Sam Houston State. Gallant had a lot of success last summer coming out of the bullpen for Hyannis and was #30 on Baseball America's top CCBL prospects list. Gallant was good as a freshman, going 9-4 with a 4.98ERA. As a sophomore, however, Gallant struggled to be a consistent starter for the Bearkats. He has been up and down the whole year.

Gallant's troubles as a starter are mostly due to the fact that he is a two-trick pony. He possess a low 90's fastball with some life. His secondary pitch is a low 80's slider that continues to get better and is already a plus-pitch. Both are swing-and-miss type offerings. Yet, with only these two pitches in his arsenal, Gallant has showed his weakness as a starter. I think, without a doubt, Gallant profiles a reliever in the future and could become a good set-up man. Gallant was picked in the 23-round by the Twins. Not exactly where Gallant was hoping to go, so he will try to show his stuff this summer and either sign before the end of the season or head back to SHU.

Gallant looked sharp in this game. His fastball really had good glove-side movement and his slider had hitters bailing out early. He did walk one batter and control remains to be his most glaring weakness.

Player of Highlight
Steve Selsky, Orleans/Arizona, OF, Soph., Manhattan Beach, CA, Draft Eligible: 2010

Height: 6-02, Weight: 205

Game Stats: 4AB, 0H, 0BB, 0K

College Season Stats: .370AVG, 17 2B, 9HR, 52RBI, 11SB, .448OBP, .609SLG, 23/49 BB/K

Comments: Steve Selsky, another Cape returnee, led the Wildcats in just about every offensive category in his sophomore season with some eye-popping numbers. This was on the back of being named a Freshman All-American in the previous year. He's back with Orleans after he was picked in the 34th-round (1,040th overall) by Colorado in this year's draft as a draft-eligible sophomore. He has decided to make the trek to the Cape and show off his talents in order to get "3rd-round type money". His plan is going perfectly, as Selsky has started the summer red-hot and is hitting well over .300 through the first quarter of the season.

Selsky is the son of a former major leaguer and his baseball instincts and fundamentals reflect it. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder has a good-size frame for an outfielder with strong legs. He has a good arm and is average defensively. The right-hander has always been aggressive at the plate and jumps all over fastballs. It leads to some impressive offensive numbers, but a pretty poor BB/K ratio (23/49 in his sophomore season). He is more of a gap-to-gap type hitter, but occasionally he can get a hold of one and display his power. He projects as a corner outfielder.

Expect the Rockies to pay up if he stays hot on the Cape. If not, and Selsky returns to Arizona, expect him to much higher in next year's draft -- possibly supplemental round.

Others to Watch:

Jason Esposito (Orleans/Vanderbilt)
Jason Nappi (Hyannis/Harding)

Around the Cape:

Brian Goodwin (Harwich/UNC), a freshman outfielder, went 4-for-4 and 2SB and is off to a hot summer.

Where I'll Be Next:

Orleans, June 27th

June 22nd - Wareham @ YD

2010-06-24T14:39:00.002-04:00

YD 5, Wareham 3

On Tuesday, I charted the Wareham vs. YD game played at Red Wilson Field. For the first time this summer, there were scouts in attendance. And not just a few. By my count, over 10. Plenty were on hand to get a look at Brett Mooneyham (YD/Stanford), no doubt. I was impressed with the stuff of the big lefty and he will be my Pitcher of Highlight. His Red Sox teammate at short, Joe Panik, is also making a name for himself on the Cape. He will be my Player of Highlight.

Pitcher of Highlight
Brett Mooneyham, YD/Stanford, LHP, Soph., Atwater, CA, Draft Eligible: 2011
Height: 6-05, Weight: 235

Game Stats: 7IP, 6H, 2ER, 1BB, 7K

College Season Stats: 3-7, 5.07ERA, 87IP, 99/62 K/BB, 1.59WHIP, 10.24 K/9

Comments: When Brett Mooneyham stuck with his commitment to be a Stanford Cardinal after being drafted in 2008, the expectations were sky high. Mooneyham was widely considered one of the best left-handers in the country, but he wasn't drafted until the 15th round due to his strong ties to Stanford. Mooneyham hasn't quite lived up the those expectations yet. He was a Louisville Slugger & Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American in his first spring at Stanford with decent stats. But this spring, Mooneyham struggled at times and finished with less than stellar results. His size and stuff are undeniable, however, and that still has scouts salivating at one of the top LHP prospects.

The first thing you notice about Mooneyham is his size. His 6-foot-4 and 235-pound frame remind me of Jon Lester. Mooneyham's best pitch is his 90-93 mph fastball that has some life on it. He also features a slider and change-up which continue to be pitches in development, but could be bat-missing type pitches. Mooneyham's control on this day was good, but that has been his crutch throughout college and high school and is preventing him from ascending to the very top of the collegiate pitching ranks. His poise on the mound has also been a major red flag for scouts as well.

Mooneyham is a Team USA invitee so it will be interesting to see if he makes it or if he will return to the Cape. If Mooneyham can put it all together -- stuff, command, and poise, and overall good summer performance could shoot him up draft boards like it did to Chris Sale this past draft.

Player of Highlight
Joe Panik, YD/St. John's, SS, Soph., Hopewell Junction, NY, Draft Eligible: 2011
Height: 6-01, Weight: 180

Game Stats: 3AB, 1H, 1 2B, 1RBI, 1SB

College Season Stats: .374AVG, 18 2B, 10HR, 53RBI, .621SLG, .477OBP, 6SB, 38/17 BB/K

Comments: Joe Panik is an accomplished SS from St. John's University. In his first two years with the Red Storm, Panik has been nothing short of stellar. Offensively, Panik has feasted on Big East pitching, slugging .512 and .621, in his freshman and sophomore campaigns, respectively. He has shown a patient approach at the plate too, walking 67 times versus striking out only 32 times over the two seasons.

Panik has a compact stroke from the left-side of the plate. He has struggled a little at the dish with the wood thus far on the Cape however. The real story has been his exceptional play at short. I have seen him make difficult plays look easy with the glove, while basically making routine plays with his eyes closed. He also has a knack for turning some incredible double-play combinations as well. Panik has already turned 9 DPs in 8 games for the Red Sox.

If Panik's bat comes alive this summer (which I expect it to do), he could really help himself for the 2011 Draft. I don't think there is a question that his glove and arm can play at short at the next level. Whether he can repeat his success hitting against elite pitching, night in, night out, remains to be seen. In my eyes, Panik is one of the more entertaining players to watch this summer.

Others to Watch:

Ronnie Shaban (YD/Virginia Tech)
Alex Dickerson (Wareham/Indiana) -- Louisville Slugger & NCBWA First-Team All-American, Big 10 Player of the Year

Around the Cape:

Early Season Off. Stat Leaders:

AVG - .400 - Ronnie Richardson (Harwich/UCF)
HR - 2 - tied - Ricky Oropresa (Chatham/USC), Kolten Wong (Orleans/Hawaii), CJ Cron (Cotuit/Utah)
RBI - 8 - Mike Nemeth (Bourne/UConn)

Where I'll Be Next:

Hyannis, June 24th

June 21st - Hyannis @ YD

2010-06-22T15:39:00.002-04:00

YD 4, Hyannis 1

On Sunday, the YD Red Sox hosted the Hyannis Habor Hawks. The game was a bit sloppy with 5 combined errors (more like 7 or 8 if you ask me) and there wasn't any offensive stars -- only two players had multi-hit games. The story of the game for me was the play of two undersized players for each squad, Tyler Hanover and Casey McElroy of YD and Hyannis, respectively. The pitching for the day was mediocre at best, so two position players are the highlights for this post:

Player of Highlight

Tyler Hanover, YD/LSU, 2B/3B, Soph., Kernersville, NC, Draft Eligible: 2011

Height: 5-06, Weight: 158

Game Stats: 4AB, 2H, 1 2B, 2K

College Season Stats: .332 AVG, 2HR, 16 2B, .429SLG, .406OBP, 5SB, 4CS, 25/28 BB/K

Comments: Tyler Hanover is back on the Cape for his second summer in YD. Hanover is an overachiever at every level his has played at. He was a Second Team All-American and Gatorade Player of the Year for North Carolina in high school. He started on the CWS championship LSU Tigers team in 2009 (mostly at 3rd) and batted .321 with 5 HR, including a blast in the CWS. Last summer on the Cape, Hanover proved he belonged as he hit .300 and 2 HR and made the CCBL All-Star team. This spring, followed up with an even better sophomore season. Now he has returned to the Cape to show he deserves to be playing with the best players in the country.

To call Tyler Hanover undersized is a complete understatement. At 5'6", he is 3" shorter than Dustin Pedroia -- a player he is often compared to. While Hanover does display some of the same tools as Pedroia, namely great hand-eye coordination, solid glove and a strong arm; I doubt he will ever have the same type of power or overall hitting ability of Pedroia. He does show lightning-quick hand speed and true gap-to-gap hitting ability. One thing scouts have to love about Hanover are his intangibles. Hanover is a dirtbag, in the greatest sense of the word. It will be interesting to see if Hanover's tools will translate into the minors and the bigs despite his size.

Player of Highlight

Casey McElroy, Hyannis/Auburn, SS/2B, Soph., Orlando, FL, Draft Eligible: 2011

Height: 5-09, Weight: 181

Game Stats: 3AB, 1H, 1 2B, 1K

College Season Stats: .325AVG, 9HR, .507SLG, .409OBP, 1SB, 5CS, 28/28 BB/K

Comments: Casey McElroy has been nothing but solid for the Auburn Tigers since he stepped onto campus. He started every game as an infielder (the only player on the team to do so) and was selected as a Louisville Freshman All-American last spring. He's continued to perform this spring for the Tigers as well.

McElroy has been on a tear for the Hyannis Habor Hawks in the first 7 games of the summer. He is leading the CCBL in AVG (.409), SLG (.636), and OBP (.440). So far McElroy has shown he can spray the ball to all fields with similar gap-to-gap ability as Hanover, but with even better pop. He glove and arm aren't nearly as good as Hanover's however. And both players are average to below-average runners. If McElroy can keep up his stats for the entire summer, it could catapult him up to the early rounds.

Others to Watch

Tanner Poppe (YD/Kansas)

Around the Cape

Logan Verrett (Chatham/Baylor) was impressive in his first start of the summer. He will be one of the top arms in the 2011 MLB Draft.

Where I'll be next

At YD, June 22th.

June 16th - Orleans @ Chatham

2010-06-19T13:12:00.007-04:00

Chatham 5, Orleans 2

On Wednesday I charted the home opener for Chatham against their Eastern Division rival, the Orleans Firebirds. What looked like a short pitchers' duel morphed into a dramatic 13-inning game. Ricky Oropesa launched a towering 3-run walk-off shot to deep right, traveling all the way to the fire station across the street, to win it for the Anglers. I choose to highlight two Orleans players that stood out, however, knowing I will have the opportunity to see Oropesa many times again.

Pitcher of Highlight
Marcus Stroman, Orleans/Duke, RHP/INF, Fresh., Medford, NY, Draft Eligible: 2012
Height: 5-09, Weight: 180

Game Stats: 2.0IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
College Season Stats: 6-4, 5.31ERA, 57.2IP, 64K, 25BB -- .265AVG, 2HR, 20RBI, 11SB

Comments: Stroman is a two-way freshman at Duke, who mostly played middle INF and came out of the bullpen for the Blue Devils. He was drafted out of high school in New York in the 18th round by the Nationals, but held his commitment to play at Duke. He is an exceptional athlete and student -- Stroman was named Louisville Slugger's Player of the Year for New York, lettered four years in basketball, and a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.

Stroman didn't disappoint this spring at Duke as a true freshman. His pitching was the real highlight, including posting a stifling 64/25 K/BB ratio. Stroman's bat was not quite as impressive, but solid for a second baseman. He showed off his wheels too, grabbing 11 stolen bases.

Stroman is listed at 5'9" tall (maybe with 2 inch spikes) but possess excellent arm strength despite his stature. Coming on in relief for the Firebirds, Stroman regularly hit 95 mph on the gun. Stroman also features a side sweeping 85-mph slider that has the chance to be a plus-pitch.

I like Stroman's athleticism, but his arm strength is much more valuable on the mound than at second base. I will continue to look for Stroman to come out of the bullpen for the Firebirds and light up the gun as the summer progresses.

Player of Highlight
Kolten Wong, Orleans/Hawaii, INF/OF/C, Soph., Hilo, Hawaii, Draft Eligible: 2011
Height: 5-09, Weight: 190

Game Stats: 6AB, 3H, 1HR, 1R, 1RBI, 3SB, 0K
College Season Stats: .357AVG, 57R, 7HR, 40RBI, .436OBP, .534SLG, 19SB, 36/20 BB/K

Comments: Kolten Wong shares many similarities with Stroman. Both are great athletes and were high school standouts in two sports (Wong in baseball and football); both are undersized at 5'9"; both were academic scholars; and each stuck to their collegiate commitments. Like, Stroman, Wong is not a new name to scouts either. Even though Wong grew up on the island of Hawaii, he was heavily recruited and was drafted in the 16th round in 2008.

During his freshman year at Hawaii, Wong was sensational. He was recognized as a Freshman All-American in just about every publication. Last summer, Wong made the roster for Team USA. This past spring, there was no sophomore slump for Wong. He showed he can do just about everything with 7HR, .357AVG, 19SB, .970OPS, and most impressively a 36/20 B/KK ratio. His position is listed as "INF/OF/C" on the website which speaks to his athleticism and versatility, although he played every game at 2B for the Rainbows (and yes, that is the baseball team's official nickname).

In this game, Wong put on a show of his various tools. He had 3 hits with no strikeouts. He slammed one home-run to deep right-center. He was a thief on the base paths with 3 stolen bags (he did get caught once). Overall, I was really impressed with Wong's tools and the way he played the game, 100% the whole time. He is incredibly difficult to strike out and makes solid contact almost every at-bat. Wong could be a high round draft pick next year.

Others to Watch:

Ricky Oropesa (Chatham/USC) --- hit one of the farthest HR I've seen on the Cape
Mark Ginther (Chatham/OK St.)

Around the Cape:

Eric Pfisterer returned to Wareham for his second stint on the Cape and pitched masterfully: 7IP, 3H, 2BB, 0R, 9K

Where I'll be next:

Harwich, June 18th

June 14/15th - YD @ Harwich & Chatham @ Harwich

2010-06-17T18:38:00.012-04:00

YD 4, Harwich 0
Chatham 3, Harwich 1

I traveled to Harwich these past two nights to chart two inter-division matchups between YD and Chatham facing off against Harwich. As is typical of the start of the Cape League, the pitchers are dominating the hitters thus far. No hitter, in either affair, had a multi-hit game. Most hitters are still getting used to handling the wood, in some cases the first time, in live competition. As result, the pitchers fully have the upper hand. In addition, teams continue to plug holes in their rosters with temporary players while they wait for the other Cape invitees still competing in the CWS. Here are my two highlights:

Pitcher of Highlight
Joe Holtmeyer, Harwich/Nebraska-Omaha, RHP, Soph., Omaha, NE, Draft Eligible: 2011.
Height: 6-3, Weight: 230

Game Stats: 6.0IP, 1ER, 4H, 2BB, 3K, 2WP
College Season Stats: 9-2, 2.89 ERA, 87.1IP, 152K, 35B

Comments: Holtmeyer had an impressive season at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, a DII school. He led the nation (DII) in strikeouts, besting recently drafted Hayden Simpson (Cubs, 16th overall) by 21 Ks. I was excited to see if Holtmeyer's stuff could live up to his eye-popping stats. Overall, I was a little disappointed. Holtmeyer has a big body with a strong base. His delivery is almost straight overhead, and his fastball has good downward plane. His velocity was lower than I expected of a strikeout leader, around 87-91mph. I read that he regularly is clocked in the mid-90's. This wasn't the case last night. His slider was average offering at 79-81mph. His change-up was somewhat effective at 78-80mph. This was Holtmeyer's first start on the Cape so I will reserve judgement until I see him more, but I was expecting above-average stuff from a strikeout king.

Player of Highlight
Dusty Robinson, YD/Fresno St., OF, Soph., Bakersfield, CA, Draft Eligible: 2011
Height: 6-0, Weight: 205

Game Stats: 4 AB, 1 H (3B), 1BB, 1RBI, 2Ks

College Season Stats: .308 AVG, 16HR, 60RBI, .413 OBP, .588 SLG, 37/55 BB/K

Comments: Dusty Robinson is an outfielder hailing from Fresno State (CWS winner in 2008). Robinson put up impressive numbers during his freshman year with the Bulldogs and was recognized by being named to the Freshman All-America team by Baseball America. His sophomore spring was another good one. In the game, Robinson hit the hardest ball all night, a triple to deep center field. However he did strikeout twice. Robinson appears to have good strength with some pop in his bat. I will continue to keep an eye on him to further evaluate his tools.

Other Players to Watch

Jordan Ribera (YD/Fresno St.)
Daniel Burawa (Harwich/St. John's)
Matty Ott (Harwich/LSU)

Around the Cape

Cecil Tanner, a Cape returnee (Falmouth/Georgia) had a quality start (W, 5IP, 3H, 2K)
Mark Pope (Falmouth/Georgia Tech) followed up Tanner's performance and overshadowed him. A dominant performance for Pope (W, 7IP, 2H, 11K, 1BB)

Where I'll be next

Chatham, June 16th

Opening Night - June 13th: Cotuit @ Wareham

2010-06-14T15:12:00.008-04:00

Wareham 5, Cotuit 2

The opening night of the Cape Cod Baseball League season began at Clem Spillane Field in Wareham, MA, just over the bridge of Cape Cod.

After a long opening night ceremony, the first pitch of the 2010 CCBL season was thrown by Matt Barnes of UConn. It was fitting because Barnes, a Team USA invitee, is on the Cape for his second stint and regarded as one of the top pitching prospects for the 2011 MLB Draft. His Huskie teammate, George Springer, started his summer session strong with the first home run of the season. Both Huskies have high-ceilings. These will be my two players of highlight:

Pitcher of Highlight
Matt Barnes, Wareham/UConn, RHP, Soph., Bethel, CT, Draft Eligible: 2011

Height: 6-4, Weight: 203

Game Stat Line: WIN, 6.2IP, 1ER, 2H, 4BB, 1K, 2HBP

College Season Stats: 8-3, 3.92 ERA, 82.2IP, 75K, 25BB

Comments: Matt Barnes is returning to the Cape for his second summer, although it may be brief. Barnes is scheduled to pitch three times before venturing off to Team USA tryouts. Barnes displayed great stuff but struggled at times last summer for Wareham, and ended up finshing 1-4, 4.78 ERA, 26.1 IP, 33/10 K/BB. He is coming into his likely short summer here after a strong sophomore season at UConn and the expectations will be higher for him this time. Well, he started his Cape warm-up season on the right foot.

Barnes was solid, sitting between 91-94mph on the gun with his fastball with decent run. He worked mostly away to both sided hitters, and I would like to see him challenge hitters on the inner half more with his velocity. His curveball is an average pitch and has the chance to be a plus-pitch with a little refinement. It bent in at around 75-77mph. He also flashed a change-up that registered at 82-84mph on radar, with good downward movement. His control was a little off this night, as he had 4 walks.

Barnes has a tall (6'4"), projectable frame. It looks like he has added some weight and strength since last summer, and still has some room to add more. His delivery is a very easy and natural, high 3/4 arm action. His mechanics are fluid and he pitches with ease.

I expect Barnes to be a high round draft choice next year. If he continues to fill out and further refine his off-speed pitches and command, he has the potential to be a solid #4 or 5 starter in MLB.

Player of Highlight

George Springer, Wareham/UConn, OF, Soph., New Britain, CT, Draft Eligible: 2011

Height: 6-3, Weight: 200

Game Stat Line: 3AB, 2R, 1H, 1HR, 1BB, 2RBI

College Season Stats: .337 AVG, 18HR, 62RBI, .491 OBP, .658 SLG, 60/70 BB/K

Comments: Another Huskie, Springer is also returning for his second go-around on the Cape. Last summer, Springer, OF, was the leading hit-getter for the Gatemen and finished the season with a strong stat line of .261 AVG, 35H, 3HR, 25RBI, .342 OBP, .366 SLG, 39/13 K/BB. His collegiate spring follow-up was nothing to sneeze at either. Springer ended up belting 18HR and a staggering 1.149 OPS. He was Big East Rookie of the Year during his freshman campaign and has continued to dominate the league.

Springer continued his power surge on the Cape with a 7th inning line-drive blast that got out of the park in a hurry. Springer has a very athletic, wiry, fast-twitch body (video). He runs well, has good outfield range and displays a strong arm. He could become a 5-tool player. He has the chance to be one of the top bats taken in the draft next year.

Other Players to Watch

Cotuit: Nick Tropeano, RHP, Stony Brook.

Paul Hoilman, 1B, East Tenn State.

Wareham: Chris Walker, C, Fordham. (threw out 3 base-stealers, had 2 hits)

Around the League

The rest of the 8 CCBL teams begin action tonight, Monday, June 14th.

Where I'll be next
Harwich, June 14th.

Welcome to the CCBL Prospect Report

2010-06-14T12:24:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the Cape Cod Baseball League Prospect Report written by Alex Palmer. If you happen to stumble across this blog and you love everything that deals with the Cape Cod Baseball, MLB prospects, college baseball, or even baseball in general, you have found the right place.

I am recent graduate that will be working for Inside Edge, Inc., a premier baseball scouting service company for the summer. For my duties, I am responsible to chart a Cape League game each night using a radar gun and Inside Edge's proprietary PalmScout charting system (a unique software installed on a netbook).

To supplement my duties at Inside Edge, I decided to start this blog to record my experience seeing some of the best amateur baseball players in the country. My work will limit me to a single game a night (and not of my particular choice), but by the end of the season I should have seen the majority of MLB prospects on the Cape. Each night I will try to highlight two or three players that I think are worth blogging about and should be top picks in the MLB First-Year Player Draft.

It appears that this CCBL season should be stockpiled with high-profile, draft-eligible prospects (especially with the Team USA try-outs being moved back until July 6th). However, as always, some of the top talent will not show up to the Cape until after the College World Series. Here's to hoping we get the opportunity to see their talent on display this summer.

If you have any questions, or comments about this blog, feel free to contact me at apalmer@gmail.com. I hope you find the blog informative, interesting, and entertaining.....

PLAY BALL!