As the summer leagues around the country draw to a close, it’s time to take a look at some of the best performers and prospects starting with the Cape Cod League.
The league MVP award went to Orleans second baseman Kolton Wong. Wong ended the Cape season with a robust .341/.426/.452 line. He drew walks in 11.6% of his plate appearances while striking out only 8.4%. Wong has a short, quick stroke and good speed; he stole 22 bases in 38 games. His small stature limits his physical projection, though scouting the 5-foot-9 college star is one of the best gigs in baseball since Wong plays for the University of Hawai’i. Defensively, Wong has decent range at second and soft hands. He's also spent time playing centerfield and catching. The lack of big-time tools and projection may keep him out of the 2011 first round, but Wong should provide excellent value to whichever team drafts him as one of college baseball best performers.
Andrew Susac was a second or third round talent out of high school, in the deep 2009 high school catching crop. Susac struggled a bit as a true freshman, hitting .260/.387/.365 for Oregon State. But he did walk in 12.6% of his plate appearances -- very encouraging -- while striking out 19.3% of the time, which is not terrible for a freshman. Susac had a big summer for Falmouth, sporting a .290/.393/.500 line and was tied for third in home runs (5). Susac drew rave reviews as the best defensive catcher in the Cape and could find his way into the first round of the 2011 draft if the age-eligible sophomore carries over his offensive improvement.
Georgia Tech left-handed starter Jed Bradley didn’t receive as much attention last spring as fellow Yellow Jacket and first round pick Deck McGuire, but that's sure to change. After striking out 99 of the 400 total batters he faced during the college season, Bradley tied for the Cape lead in strikeouts with 44. Bradley has a prototypical pitcher’s build and smooth, repeatable motion. Working with a low-90’s fastball that can touch 94 MPH, Bradley shows good feel for a changeup and the makings of an average breaking ball. While his stuff is solid, Bradley’s calling card is his command. He walked only six batters this spring. The 2011 draft class is deep in power arms so Bradley might not get first-round love, but has the makings of a solid, middle-of-the-rotation starter.
The defensive burden placed on shortstops puts them in high demand. Shortstops who can handle themselves with the glove and stick are always at a premium. Enter Arizona State shortstop Deven Marrero. Marrero actually lead the Sun Devils in hitting last spring, posting a .397/.442/.628 line as a freshman. Playing for Cotuit in the Cape, Marrero hit .306/.385/.378. An above-average runner with solid range, smooth hands and a plus arm, Marrero has more than enough defensive ability to hold down shortstop long-term. His quick, simple swing should lead to consistently high batting averages with just enough patience to post quality on-base percentages. While there isn’t much in the way of power projection with Marrero, it’s hard to imagine a quality shortstop with his track record lasting too long on draft day.
Anthony Meo generated some buzz by being one of the hardest throwers in the Cape this summer. The Coastal Carolina right-hander had a strong spring for the Chanticleers but struggled slightly with Bourne in the Cape. Even though his fastball sits 94-95 MPH, regularly touching higher, Meo hasn’t posted elite strikeout rates. After whiffing 23.4% of hitters this spring, Meo sent just 15.8% of Cape batters down on strikes. Meo augments his mid-to-upper 90’s fastball with a 91-92 MPH cutter but lacks a quality off-speed pitch. If his off-speed stuff can develop, Meo could go high in the first round. If not, someone will still want to take a chance on that arm strength pretty early.
Perhaps the most disappointed Cape performance belonged to University of Florida first baseman Preston Tucker. After drilling opposing pitchers to the tune of .331/.436/.551 for the Gators, Tucker could only muster an .113/.165/.150 triple slash score in the Cape. Some of that line is surely bad luck, .130 BABIP, but there isn’t much good to take away from Tucker’s summer performance. The good news is that Tucker is much more the dominate slugger he showed during the college season than the pitcher-forced-to-hit he produced like in the Cape. Tucker has the patience and power potential to be a middle-of-the-order big league threat and, with a good spring, should still garner first-round consideration.
I’ll warn you in advance, the man-crush that we at Project Prospect have for UNC infielder Levi Michael is just beginning and could blossom into full Mike Leake mode before next June. Michael hit .346/.480/.575 for the Tar Heels last spring and followed that up with a mediocre .252/.353/.370 line for Harwich. Michael is an athletic switch-hitter and versatile defender who has seen time all over the UNC infield. While some feel Michael could hold down short, he could be a plus defender at second base. Michael has a smooth, line-drive stroke from both sides of the plate with gap power and outstanding plate discipline. Michael drew walks in 15.8% of his plate appearances last spring while striking out just 9.3% of the time. Michael actually graduated early so as to begin his college career sooner and will only be 20 years old when drafted next June. Polished beyond his years, I would be shocked if Levi Michael doesn’t have a long, productive MLB career.
Email Lincoln at LHamilton@projectprospect.com and follow him on Twitter @LHamiltonPP.