Early Look: Yarmouth-Dennis

Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox
Manager: Scott Pickler
2009 Record: 28-15-1

The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox were the most successful franchise of the last decade, with three Cape League titles to their name.

This year, they’ll try to start down the same path in the new decade.

The Red Sox have been consistent contenders for quite a while now. They bring in talented players year in and year out, and manager Scott Pickler always seems to get the best out of them. Last season, the Red Sox didn’t make the championship, but they had the best regular-season record in the league.

That was despite the fact that the team didn’t shape up like you would have expected in the preseason. Looking back on last year’s preview, four of the five players I was excited to see never made it to the Cape. But the Red Sox found a way behind a solid offense and a steady pitching staff.

Right now, the team has a similar make-up this year. This isn’t a squad loaded with prospects or guys who had huge college seasons, but the potential is there for these Red Sox to turn into another solid club.

The pitching staff took a hit when UCLA star Trevor Bauer was dropped from the roster. The Red Sox don’t appear to have an ace like Chris Sale last year. They’ll need some big summers.

Offensively, they return only two players, so there may be some growing pains. But guys like Joe Panik, Dusty Robinson and Beau Taylor are sophomores with proven track records.

All in all, I wouldn’t rank the Red Sox among the top two or three teams, on paper.

But if we’ve learned anything in the last decade about Y-D’s ability to put things together, I also wouldn’t count them out.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 2
Juniors: 2
Sophomores: 18
Freshmen: 7

Notable

I think the Y-D pitching staff would make a pretty formidable basketball team. At 6’9, Kentucky’s Alex Meyer is the tallest of a really tall bunch. Six more pitchers stand 6’5 or taller. The average height of the staff is around 6’5.

Alex Meyer and Brett Mooneyham should be really interesting to watch. Both were major prospects coming out of high school and both have had their struggles at the college level. The strikeout numbers have been consistently high for both, so it stands to reason that against wooden bats, they’ve got a good shot at putting up better all-around numbers.

Kyle Hansen is the brother of former St. John’s and Harwich star Craig Hansen. While Craig was a fantastic closer, Kyle is making his name as a starter. He had a really impressive freshman year, and could easily become the top freshman pitcher on the Cape.

Hansen’s teammate Joe Panik had the top offensive numbers of any Red Sox player this season. A talented shortstop, Panik hit .380 with nine home runs.

Central Florida’s Beau Taylor heads a solid group of catchers. Ben McMahan has been good at Florida and Matt Watson had a decent freshman season at Boston College. From what I’ve read, Taylor is a bit undersized but he’s put up great numbers all the way along.

Tyler Hanover is not the most heralded member of the LSU contingent that’s headed for the Cape, but he brings the most experience to the table. The sophomore hit .300 and was an all-star for Y-D last year.

Matt Jensen had a great freshman season and big things were expected this year — he was one of the first players invited to Team USA. Injuries hampered him though, and he ended up hitting .270.

LSU star pitcher and Red Sox draftee Anthony Ranaudo is reportedly coming to Cape Cod, but I haven’t heard which team he’ll be playing for. I note this here because Ranaudo pitched for Y-D in 2008, so there’s an established relationship.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Kyle Hansen
2. Joe Panik
3. Dusty Robinson
4. Alex Meyer
5. Brett Mooneyham

Pitchers

D.J. Baxendale – RHP – 6’2 190 – Arkansas – Freshman
Derek Benny – RHP – 6’5 210 – Fresno State – Sophomore
Anthony Desclafani – RHP – 6’2 190 – Florida – Sophomore
Ryan Gibson – LHP – 6’2 227 – Oklahoma – Freshman
Kyle Hansen – RHP – 6’7 195 – St. John’s – Freshman
D.J. Hicks – RHP – 6’5 230 – Central Florida – Sophomore
Cory Mazzoni – RHP – 6’1 189 – NC State – Sophomore
Alex Meyer – RHP – 6’9 220 – Kentucky – Sophomore
Brett Mooneyham – LHP – 6’5 235 – Stanford – Sophomore
Tanner Poppe – RHP – 6’6 220 – Kansas – Freshman
Jordan Pries – RHP – 6’1 195 – Stanford – Sophomore
Ali Simpson – LHP – 6’3 170 – Bethune Cookman – Sophomore
Scott Snodgress – LHP – 6’5 215 – Stanford – Sophomore
Tommy Toledo – RHP – 6’3 190 – Florida – RS Sophomore

D.J. Baxendale – RHP – 6’2 190
Arkansas
Freshman

Baxendale was Arkansas’ Gatorade Player of the Year as a high-school senior and he stayed home to play for the Razorbacks. They’re glad he did, and they’ve had no qualms giving him a lot of work. Baxendale leads the team in appearances with 28, all but three out of the bullpen. He has pretty good numbers, too, with a 4.00 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 54 innings.

Derek Benny – RHP – 6’5 210
Fresno State
Sophomore

A 45th-round pick out of high school, Benny made his way into the weekend rotation last season and finished second on the team in strikeouts. It was a struggle this year for Benny, who walked almost as many as he struck out. He finished with an 8.18 ERA.

Anthony Desclafani – RHP – 6’2 190
Florida
Sophomore

DeSclafani was a 22nd round pick out of high school, but he hasn’t quite put it all together yet in Gainesville. After going 6-3 with a 4.98 ERA as a freshman, he’s 2-3 this season with a 6.97 ERA. He has struck out 39 and walked only seven but he’s allowed 58 hits in 40 innings.

Ryan Gibson – LHP – 6’2 227
Oklahoma
Freshman

Gibson was selected in the 48th round of last year’s draft. At Oklahoma, he’s had a really solid freshman season. He’s made 10 starts and two relief appearances and is 5-2 with a 3.76 ERA. He has struck out 40 and walked 23 in 40.2 innings.

Kyle Hansen – RHP – 6’7 195
St. John’s
Freshman

Hansen is the brother of former St. John’s and Cape League star Craig Hansen, who’s now in the Pittsburgh system. Kyle, a 40th-round pick last year with a lot of upside, is making his own name this spring. As the team’s best starter, he went 8-2 with a 3.55 ERA. He struck out 84 and walked 36 in 91.1 innings. His scouting report for the draft last year had his fastball touching 94.

D.J. Hicks – RHP – 6’5 230
Central Florida
Sophomore

Hicks hit .301 as a freshman and also saved three games on the mound on his way to C-USA All-Freshman honors. This spring, he was limited by injury. He played in six games and didn’t make a pitching appearance.

Cory Mazzoni – RHP – 6’1 189
NC State
Sophomore

Mazzoni had an up-and-down freshman year but finished strong and pitched well in the Prospect League, where he struck out 63 in 52 innings. This year, Mazzoni went 7-3 with a 5.20 ERA. He struck out 89 and walked 40 in 91.2 innings.

Alex Meyer – RHP – 6’9 220
Kentucky
Sophomore

Meyer burst onto the prospect scene before his senior year of high school and was mentioned as a first-round pick. With Scott Boras advising him and a strong commitment to Kentucky, he lasted until the 20th round and stuck with the Wildcats. He’s considered perhaps the best recruit in Kentucky history, but the statistics haven’t caught up with the hype at this point. After going 1-4 with a 5.73 ERA last year, he went 5-3 this year with a 7.06 ERA. He did strike out 63 in 51 innings.

Brett Mooneyham – LHP – 6’5 235
Stanford
Sophomore

Like Meyer, Mooneyham was a big-time prospect in high school, with some clubs ranking him as the top prep left-hander in the country. He was considered unsignable because of his commitment to Stanford but he still went in the 15th round. For the Cardinal, he hasn’t dominated but he’s shown flashes. He had a 4.14 ERA as a freshman, and teams hit just .204 off him. This year he went 3-7 with a 5.07 ERA, but he also struck out 99 in 87 innings.

Tanner Poppe – RHP – 6’6 220
Kansas
Freshman

Poppe was a three-sport standout and was getting D-I football looks until his fastball and pitching potential pushed him toward baseball. Poppe didn’t put up great numbers for the Jayhawks this year, going 3-4 with a 5.25 ERA and walking more than he struck out, but he has a lot of potential.

Jordan Pries – RHP – 6’1 195
Stanford
Sophomore

Pries became Stanford’s Friday starter as his freshman season unfolded last year. He ended up going 4-4 with a 4.62 ERA. This year, Pries made 15 starts and went 4-4 again with a 4.07 ERA. He struck out 65 in 97.1 innings.

Ali Simpson – LHP – 6’3 170
Bethune Cookman
Sophomore

Simpson made the long trek from his native British Columbia to Bethune Cookman in Florida. He’s had a solid career. His freshman year was outstanding, as Simpson went 9-2 with a 3.23 ERA and 79 strikeouts. This year, Simpson saw his ERA rise to 4.93, but he still struck out almost a batter an inning.

Scott Snodgress – LHP – 6’5 215
Stanford
Sophomore

Snodgress had a decent freshman season but really made waves in the Alaska League last summer when he posted a 2.93 ERA. Baseball America rated him the league’s fourth-best prospect. This year, Snodgress had a 5.59 ERA with 38 strikeouts and 29 walks in 37 innings.

Tommy Toledo – RHP – 6’3 190
Florida
RS Sophomore

Toledo was one of the highest unsigned picks in the 2007 draft and he had a solid freshman season for the Gators. But after that, he missed all of last season with a shoulder injury. He returned this year and has made nine appearances. He’s 3-2 with a 4.38 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 24.2 innings.

Position Players

*Ben McMahan – C – 6’0 205 – Florida – Sophomore
Beau Taylor – C – 5’11 195 – Central Florida – Sophomore
Matt Watson – C – 6’0 200 – Boston College – Freshman
Matt Hamlet – INF – 6’0 167 – Boston College – Junior
*Tyler Hanover – INF – 5’6 165 – LSU – Sophomore
Matt Jensen – INF – 5’10 195 – Cal Poly – Sophomore
Joe Panik – INF – 6’2 190 – St. John’s – Sophomore
Tyler Sibley – INF – 5’10 160 – Texas State – Sophomore
Lance Ray – OF/1B – 6’2 200 – Kentucky – Junior
Dusty Robinson – OF – 6’0 205 – Fresno State – Sophomore
Matt Vinson – OF – 6’2 195 – Arkansas – Freshman
Bobby Crocker – OF – 6’3 225 – Cal Poly – Sophomore
Cody Keefer – OF – 6’1 190 – UCLA – Freshman

Ben McMahan – C – 6’0 205
Florida
Sophomore

The Gators have as much catching talent as any team in the country, which makes playing time tough to come by. McMahan has done well in his chances, though. In 34 games, he’s hitting .324 with two home runs and three doubles. McMahan was a 30th-round pick out of high school. He played for Y-D last summer and hit .241 with three homers.

Beau Taylor – C – 5’11 195
Central Florida
Sophomore

Taylor has put up impressive numbers and turned heads at every stop. As a freshman, he hit .335 with four homers and earned C-USA All-Freshman honors. Last summer, he played in the Cal Ripken Sr. League, hit .271 and was named the league’s fourth-best prospect by Baseball America. This year, he hit .354 with seven homers, 16 doubles and 35 RBI and was on the watch list for the Johnny Bench Award, which is presented to the nation’s best catcher.

Matt Watson – C – 6’0 200
Boston College
Freshman

Watson was a 26th-round pick out of high school and he flashed plenty of his potential this spring with the Eagles. He hit only .259 but more than a third of his hits went for extra bases. He finished with seven home runs, eight doubles and two triples.

Matt Hamlet – INF – 6’0 167
Boston College
Junior

Hamlet hit over .300 in his first two years at BC. That average dipped just below .300 to .292 this year, but Hamlet showed some pop with 13 doubles and three homers. He also stole nine bases.

Tyler Hanover – INF – 5’6 165
LSU
Sophomore

Hanover hit .321 as a freshman and helped lead the Tigers to the College World Series championship. When the celebrations were done, Hanover came to the Cape and delivered a solid summer. He hit .300 with two homers and four doubles and he made the all-star team. This year, Hanover hit .332 with two homers and 16 doubles.

Matt Jensen – INF – 5’10 195
Cal Poly
Sophomore

Jensen earned Big West Freshman of the Year honors last season after hitting .375 with nine home runs and 15 doubles. This season, Jensen battled an injury and hit .270 with two home runs, seven doubles and six triples. He has been invited to Team USA.

Joe Panik – INF – 6’2 190
St. John’s
Sophomore

The Red Storm shortstop hit .322 as a freshman and was even better this year. He hit .380 with nine home runs, 17 doubles and four triples. He earned third-team all-conference honors. In Perfect Game’s February preview of the New England/New York college landscape, he was tabbed as the best defender.

Tyler Sibley – INF – 5’10 160
Texas State
Sophomore

Sibley had an outstanding freshman season at Texas State last year, hitting .359 with 10 home runs and earning Freshman All-American honors. His numbers weren’t quite as good this year, but he was still solid. Sibley hit .304 with a homer and 14 doubles.

Bobby Crocker – OF – 6’3 225
Cal Poly
Sophomore

Crocker got 34 starts as a freshman last year and hit .323. He headed to the West Coast League for the summer and hit .292. Baseball America tabbed him as the league’s fourth-best prospect. This season, Crocker was even better. He led the team with a .351 batting average and added three home runs, 15 doubles and 5 triples. He also stole 18 bases in 22 attempts.

Cody Keefer – OF – 6’1 190
UCLA
Freshman

Keefer got a jump on his collegiate career when he hit .292 in the West Coast Collegiate League last year. In his first season in Pasadena, he’s been a big part of UCLA’s success. With the Bruins heading for a Super Regional, Keefer is batting .318 with two home runs and nine doubles.

Lance Ray – OF/1B – 6’2 200
Kentucky
Junior

Ray was a junior-college standout for two years before joining the Wildcats this season and making an immediate impact. He led the team with a .356 batting average and he added 10 home runs, 11 doubles and 34 RBI.

Dusty Robinson – OF – 6’0 205
Fresno State
Sophomore

In his freshman year, Robinson made an immediate splash with the Bulldogs, hitting .319 with 12 doubles. This year, he emerged as a major run producer and power threat. Robinson finished with a .308 average, 16 home runs, 11 doubles and 60 RBI. He ranked fifth in the WAC in home runs.

Matt Vinson – OF – 6’2 195
Arkansas
Freshman

Vinson started the year in competition to grab a starting job. He’s played in 44 games for the Razorbacks, with 21 starts. He’s hitting .209, but almost half his hits have gone for extra bases.