June 27th - Bourne @ Orleans

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!