Cape Cod prospect reports

Official League Website: www.capecodbaseball.org
2015 Summer Collegiate Top Prospect Index
Cape Cod League Top Prospect List (60)


They always say “anything can happen” in the game of baseball and that adage certainly held true to the summer of 2015 on the Cape as the Orleans Firebirds looked like they could have run away with the title thanks to their plethora of talent and consistent reloading. Led by top prospect Kyle Mercer (Mercer), who built upon a strong spring season, Orleans’ roster held several of the league’s top names including Bryan Reynolds (Vanderbilt), Bobby Dalbec (Arizona), Bryson Brigman (San Diego) and Eric Lauer (Kent State).

Going up against a tall task like the Cardinals isn’t easy but Coach Scott Pickler’s Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox rose to the occasion and knocked the juggernaut out of the playoffs en route to a championship series against Hyannis. Lefthander Ben Bowden proved to be a workhorse out of the bullpen ever since he arrived on the Cape and was perhaps the biggest factor in their run.

The Harbor Hawks took care of business sweeping the Bourne Braves en route to their runner-up finish and were led by the hot bats of Corey Bird (Marshall), Austin Hays (Jacksonville), and Ryne Birk (Texas A&M), as well as righthanded pitcher Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State) and lefty Devin Smeltzer (San Jacinto). Ultimately, however, it was the Red Sox who took game three behind a stellar pitching performance from righthander Brandon Bailey (Gonzaga) who allowed just one hit over six innings and faced the minimum amount of hitters.

With the victory the championship will reside in Yarmouth-Dennis for the back-to-back seasons with fans eagerly awaiting the 2016 summer.

Along with the thrilling three game championship series several players provided fireworks of their own throughout the summer including Most Valuable Pitcher Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) and Most Valuable Player Nick Senzel (Tennessee). Jordan was absolutely fantastic throughout the summer and posted ridiculous video game type numbers finishing the regular season with a 0.20 ERA and a 6-0 record with 46 punchouts to just six walks. Senzel didn’t seem to stop hitting once he arrived on the Cape and owns one of the best hit tools in all of college baseball. He finished the summer with a .364/.418/.558 slash and showed ample power in his righthanded swing with four home runs and 16 doubles earning the league-selected Top Pro Prospect Award.

Several known draft names established themselves in the upper ranks of their respective draft classes while others like Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State) and Corbin Burnes (St. Mary’s) took advantage of their time on the biggest stage. Other players had very brief stints on the Cape, and though they could easily have fallen within the top 60, they were left off. These players include Stephen Alemais (Tulane) and Zack Collins (Miami) as well as a handful of arms who made an appearance or two before bouncing off to Cary, North Carolina for the Collegiate National Team.


Year established: 1885
States represented: Massachusetts
No. of teams: 10 
Best overall record: EAST– Orleans Firebirds (31-12-1);WEST – Hyannis Harbor Hawks (24-19-1)
Post-Season Champion: Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox
No. 1 Prospect, 2014: Walker Buehler, rhp, Yarmouth-Dennis (Vanderbilt)
First 2013 Player Selected, 2014 Draft: Tyler Jay, lhp, Yarmouth-Dennis (Illinois/ Twins, 1st round, 6th overall)

Most Valuable Player:Nick Senzel, inf, Brewster (Tennessee)
Outstanding Pitcher:Mitchel Jordan, rhp, Orleans (Stetson)
Top Prospect (as selected by league): Nick Senzel, 2b/3b, Brewster (Tennessee)

BATTING LEADERS

Batting Average: Andrew Calica, of, Wareham (UC Santa Barbara) (.425)
Slugging Percentage: Nick Senzel, 2b/3b, Brewster (Tennessee) (.558)
On-Base Percentage: Andrew Calica, of, Wareham (UC Santa Barbara) (.480)
Home Runs: Bobby Dalbec, 3b/of, Orleans (Arizona) (12)
RBI: Nick Senzel, 2b/3b, Brewster (Tennessee) (33)
Stolen Bases: Adam Pate, cf, Harwich (North Carolina) (21)

PITCHING LEADERS

Wins:Ricky Thomas, lhp, Yarmouth-Dennis (Fresno State) (7)
ERA: Mitchell Jordan, rhp, Orleans (Stetson) (0.21)
Saves:Thomas Hackimer, rhp, Brewster (St. John's); Austin Conway, rhp, Bourne (Indiana State) (10)
Strikeouts:Eric Lauer, lhp, Orleans (Kent State) (50)

BEST TOOLS

Best Athlete:
1. Stephen Wrenn, of, Yarmouth-Dennis (Georgia)
2. Errol Robinson, ss, Hyannis (Mississippi)
3. Kyle Lewis, of, Orleans (Mercer)

Best Hitter:
1. Nick Senzel, 2b/3b, Brewster (Tennessee)
2. Bryan Reynolds, of, Orleans (Vanderbilt)
3. Andrew Calica, of, Wareham (UC Santa Barbara)

Best Power:
1. Bobby Dalbec, 3b/of, Orleans (Arizona)
2. Willie Abreu, of, Orleans (Miami)
3. Gio Brusa, 1b, Yarmouth-Dennis (Pacific)

Fastest Base Runner:

1. Errol Robinson, ss, Hyannis (Mississippi)
2. Stephen Wrenn, of, Yarmouth-Dennis (Georgia)
3. Jacob Robson, of, Bourne (Mississippi State)

Best Defensive Player:
Catcher: Sean Murphy, Orleans (Wright State)
Infielder: Bryson Brigman, Orleans (San Diego)
Outfielder: Andrew Calica, Wareham(UC Santa Barbara)

Best Arm:
Catcher: Sean Murphy, Orleans Firebirds (Wright State)
Infielder: Sheldon Neuse, Harwich Mariners (Oklahoma)
Outfielder: Willie Abreu, Orleans Firebirds (Miami)

Best Velocity:
1. Zack Burdi, rhp, Chatham (Louisville)
2. Jordan Sheffield, rhp, Brewster (Vanderbilt)
3. Bryce Montes de Oca, rhp, Falmouth (Missouri)

Best Off-Speed:
Curveball: Garrett Williams, lhp, Chatham (Oklahoma State)
Slider: Eric Lauer, lhp, Orleans (Kent State)
Changeup: Ricky Thomas, lhp, Yarmouth-Dennis (Fresno State)

Best Command:
1. Shane Bieber, rhp, Yarmouth-Dennis (UC Santa Barbara)
2. Mitchell Jordan, rhp, Orleans (Stetson)
3. Devin Smeltzer, lhp, Hyannis (San Jacinto)


TOP 30 PROSPECTS:

1. Kyle Lewis, of, Orleans (Mercer/JR in 2016)
The summer that Mercer’s Kyle Lewis used to launch himself into first round discussion didn’t come out of the complete blue considering the monstrous numbers he put up during the spring of 2015. After posting a .367/.423/.677 slash for the Bears, the ultra-projectable and long-limbed 6-foot-4, 195-pound Lewis suited up for the talent laden Orleans Cardinals and proved to be the star attraction throughout the league from the moment he stepped foot in Massachusetts. The frame alone is worth mentioning as you seldom see a player built like Lewis who oozes athleticism and an overall looseness that make him easy to project upon getting even stronger at the next level. A righthander hitter who showed a sound approach in the box, Lewis showed the ability to work a count, taking borderline pitches that most would swing through while fouling off tough “pitcher’s pitches.” In doing so he is susceptible to the strikeout as the spring and summer stats suggest, but the overall results often overshadow that consequence. Perhaps the main contributing factor to Lewis’s success both with Mercer and on the Cape is his ability to see the ball deep in the zone, something made possible by how explosive his hands are and how direct his barrel path to the ball is. He works all fields comfortably with the bat, able turn on an inner half pitch or drive the outer half ones deep to the opposite field and does so with intent. He may not have led the league in any particular offensive category but he did hit .300 with seven home runs and 24 RBI over 150 at-bats. He’s not a one- or two-tool player though as he’s at least a solid runner both on the bases and in right field where he spent a majority of the summer. Lewis put himself in the discussion with the other top outfield prospects for 2015, including fellow Cape Cod participant Bryan Reynolds as detailed below.