early look: yarmouth-dennis

YARMOUTH-DENNIS RED SOX
Manager: Scott Pickler
Last Season: 31-12-1

Will the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox be able to turn in a repeat performance?

Probably not.

It’s not that the Red Sox don’t look solid. They could very well make a run to their third consecutive Cape League championship. It’s just that, if they do, they probably won’t do it in the same fashion as they did last year.

It was a once-in-a-decade kind of season. They won 31 games in the regular season, two shy of the Cape League record. They hit a ridiculous .278 with an equally-ridiculous 41 home runs. They steamrolled to their second consecutive championship, and it was really never in doubt. With that kind of offense – Buster Posey and Gordon Beckham may end up being top 10 picks – no one was going to stop them.

As for this year, they look a little easier to stop, at least on paper. They return only two players – two who might have returned, Grant Green and Diego Seastrunk, are on other Cape League teams – and they’ll be relying heavily on freshmen, both in the rotation and in the lineup.

But by the look of things, there is some serious potential. Jerry Sullivan may turn into one of the top pitchers on the Cape, and the rest of the staff is peppered by players who have been highly-touted prospects in the past. It’s a similar story in the field, where returnee Sean Ochinko heads a talented group that includes three dynamic freshmen and two catchers who should be among the best in the league at their position.

And that potential will mean a lot in Y-D. The Red Sox have figured something out the last two years and have gotten talented players to buy into the importance of team success. In a league that showcases individuals, that’s an impressive feat, and if it works again, the Red Sox will once again be a team to be reckoned with.

Roster Rundown

Returning players: 2
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 12
Freshmen: 10

Notable

• Jerry Sullivan flew under the radar a little bit last summer, partly because he only pitched in four games. But Sullivan was a major prospect out of high school and would have been a very high pick if not for an arm injury that led to Tommy John surgery. He has worked his way back, though, and has been great for Oral Roberts. I’d expect him to be great this summer, too.
• As for the rest of Y-D’s pitching staff, manager Scott Pickler better be well-versed in their injury history: six of Y-D’s 14 pitchers have had arm trouble in recent years. You can bet the Red Sox have explicit instructions to be careful with certain arms.
• One of the players in that group is Erik Goeddel, who was considered one of the top five high school pitchers in the nation last year. But an arm injury hurt his draft stock, and he has since missed the entire season at UCLA. If he does end up pitching for Y-D, he will most likely be taking it slow.
• In Western Carolina’s Chris Masters, Oregon State’s Kevin Rhoderick, Baylor’s Craig Fritsch and Georgia’s Dean Weaver, the Red Sox have four pitchers who have been lights-out in relief roles this spring.
• With UC-Riverside closer Joe Kelly mixed in, the Red Sox could have a dynamic bullpen. Kelly has struggled this year while battling injury, but last summer, he pitched for Team USA.
• At the moment, Y-D only has nine hitters on the roster, but with only 23 players total, they will certainly be adding some people.
• Oregon State’s Ryan Ortiz and Boston College’s Tony Sanchez will be battling it out for the starting catcher’s job, but whoever doesn’t get it will probably still see a lot of time. Both have hit for average and power this year.
• Sean Ochinko was probably the top freshman hitter on the Cape last year, but he has had a rough go of it this spring. Based on the numbers he put up last year, he’s too good a hitter to keep struggling.
• Arkansas’ Andy Wilkins has the profile of a freshman who could really stand out. He has big credentials and he’s put up the production to match this year, with eight home runs and a .331 batting average.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Jerry Sullivan
2. Sean Ochinko
3. Anthony Ranaudo
4. Erik Goeddel
5. Ryan Ortiz

Pitchers
Robby Donovan – RHP – 6’5 220 – Stetson – Sophomore
Craig Fritsch – RHP – 6’4 185 – Baylor – Freshman
Erik Goeddel – RHP – 6’3 180 – UCLA – Freshman
Kyle Heckathorn – RHP – 6’6 230 – Kennesaw State – Freshman
Jeff Inman – RHP – 6’3 190 – Stanford – Sophomore
Joe Kelly – RHP – 6’1 170 – UC Riverside – Sophomore
Chris Masters – LHP – 6’0 225 – Western Carolina – Sophomore
Greg Peavey – RHP – 6’2 190 – Oregon State – Freshman
Anthony Ranuado – RHP – 6’8 225 – LSU – Freshman
Kevin Rhoderick – RHP – 6’0 192 – Oregon State – Freshman
*Jerry Sullivan – RHP – 6’4 210 – Oral Roberts – Sophomore
Shawn Tolleson – RHP – 6’2 220 – Baylor – Sophomore
Tyler Waldron – RHP – 6’2 175 – Pacific – Freshman
Dean Weaver – RHP – 6’4 205 – Georgia – Sophomore
* returning player

Robby Donovan – RHP – 6’5 220
Stetson
Sophomore
Donovan was a 35th-round pick out of high school and posted a 3.93 ERA as a freshman at Stetson. This year, his ERA ballooned to 6.12, though he did lead the team in strikeouts with 56 in 64.2 innings.

Craig Fritsch – RHP – 6’4 185
Baylor
Freshman
Fritsch redshirted last season but still made a splash in the Northwoods League last summer, putting up a 2.21 ERA. That earned him the No. 4 spot on Baseball America’s list of top Northwoods League prospects. Fritsch has pitched mostly out of the bullpen this year for Baylor and has a 3.75 ERA in 18 appearances.

Erik Goeddel – RHP – 6’3 180
UCLA
Freshman
Goeddel was rated by Baseball America as the No. 2 high school player in the class of 2007, but an elbow injury forced him to miss time his senior year and sent his draft stock way down. As a result, he enrolled at UCLA, but hasn’t pitched at all this year, again because of injury. It’ll be interesting to see what the plan is for Goeddel this summer and whether he’s healthy enough to make it to Y-D.

Kyle Heckathorn – RHP – 6’6 230
Kennesaw State
Freshman
Heckathorn was an Atlantic Sun all-freshman team honoree last year and has been solid this season. He finished the regular season with a 4-2 record and a 4.98 ERA. He struck out 64 in 59.2 innings.

Jeff Inman – RHP – 6’3 190
Stanford
Sophomore
Inman was named Stanford’s most outstanding freshman last year after becoming the first rookie to spend most of the season in Stanford’s rotation since the mid-90s. Back in the rotation this year, Inman has gone 7-2 with a 4.53 ERA. In 2006, Inman was a 19th-round pick out of high school.

Joe Kelly – RHP – 6’1 170
UC Riverside
Sophomore
After emerging as Riverside’s closer and earning Freshman All-American honors from several publications, Kelly pitched last summer for Team USA and finished with a 4.50 ERA in 10 relief appearances. Back at Riverside, Kelly missed the early part of this season with injury. He returned to pick up six saves, but saw his ERA climb to 7.47.

Chris Masters – LHP – 6’0 225
Western Carolina
Sophomore
Masters made an immediate impact as a freshman last year and became Western Carolina’s top reliever. After playing in the Valley League last summer, Masters has been lights out this season. In 27 appearances – all but one out of the pen – Masters has a 3.92 ERA with 71 strikeouts and 33 walks in 62 innings.

Greg Peavey – RHP – 6’2 190
Oregon State
Freshman
Peavey was rated as one of the top high school pitchers in the country last year and was projected to go as high as the first round in the draft. Ultimately, he slipped to the 24th round. He opted to stick with Oregon State and has seen mixed results so far. Pitching mostly out of the bullpen, he has a 2-3 record and a 5.56 ERA.

Anthony Ranuado – RHP – 6’8 225
LSU
Freshman
Ranaudo was an 11th-round pick out of high school in New Jersey, and with his size factored in, he came to LSU about as highly-touted as it gets. But elbow tendonitis forced him to miss most of the season. He has returned in the last month and has pitched seven innings in four appearances. He has yet to allow an earned run.

Kevin Rhoderick – RHP – 6’0 192
Oregon State
Freshman
Another highly-touted freshman, Rhoderick was an 18th-round pick out of high school but opted to head to Corvallis. He has pitched very well in the closer’s role for the Beavers, posting 11 saves with a 2.59 ERA.

Jerry Sullivan – RHP – 6’4 210
Oral Roberts
Sophomore
Sullivan was one of the top pitchers in the country after his junior year in high school but had to undergo Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss his senior year. As a result, he wasn’t drafted. But he worked his way back to earn Freshman All-America honors at Oral Roberts then pitched part of the summer for Y-D, going 3-0 with a .56 ERA in four appearances. He has been solid again this spring, going 8-2 with a 3.97 ERA and 92 strikeouts against 22 walks in 90.2 innings. Sullivan appears poised to be one of the Cape’s top pitchers this summer.

Shawn Tolleson – RHP – 6’2 220
Baylor
Freshman
Like Fritsch, Tolleson redshirted his freshman year, but he was forced to do so because of Tommy John Surgery. After a long rehabilitation process, Tolleson has moved back into Baylor’s rotation and has gone 6-4 with a 5.06 ERA this year. Tolleson was a major prospect out of high school, so he’s a prime candidate to turn things around over the summer.

Tyler Waldron – RHP – 6’2 175
Pacific
Freshman
Waldron was a 38th-round pick out of high school in Sacramento and he has stepped immediately into the rotation at Pacific. In 14 starts, he’s gone 3-6 with a 5.42 ERA, but he does have three complete games to his credit.

Dean Weaver – RHP – 6’4 205
Georgia
Sophomore
After struggling a bit as a freshman, Weaver has been very solid out of the bullpen for Georgia this year. He is second on the team with 24 appearances, and he has posted a 4-1 record with a 3.22 ERA. In 36.1 innings, he has struck out 41 with just 13 walks.

Position Players
Ryan Ortiz – C – 6’3 200 – Oregon State – Sophomore
Tony Sanchez – C – 6’0 225 – Boston College – Sophomore
*Sean Ochinko – 1B/C – 5’10 205 – LSU – Sophomore
Chris McClendon – IF – 5’10 180 – Kentucky – Junior
Whit Merrifield – IF/OF – 6’0 175 – South Carolina – Freshman
Robby Price – IF – 5’11 180 – Kansas – Sophomore
Andy Wilkins – IF/OF – 6’1 220 – Arkansas – Freshman
Lyle Allen – OF – 6’4 210 – Georgia – Freshman
Khris Davis – OF – 5’11 – 193 – Cal State Fullerton – Sophomore
* returning player

Ryan Ortiz – C – 6’3 200
Oregon State
Sophomore
With Mitch Canham behind the plate last year, Ortiz wasn’t going to get much of a chance as a freshman – he had four at-bats. But he has made the most of his chance this year. Stepping into the starting spot, Ortiz leads the Beavers in hitting with a .354 average. He is tied for the lead in home runs with five and leads the team with 52 RBI. Definitely a catching prospect to keep an eye on.

Tony Sanchez – C – 6’0 225
Boston College
Sophomore
After hitting .318 as a freshman, Sanchez was named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List before this season, and he hasn’t disappointed. He has notched a .313 batting average, nine home runs and 45 RBI, all team-bests.

Sean Ochinko – 1B/C – 5’10 205
LSU
Sophomore
Ochinko was the top freshman hitter on the Cape last summer, posting a .315 average, eight home runs and 23 RBI. Those are great numbers for anybody, let alone a freshman, so big things were expected. But Ochinko hasn’t been himself for the Tigers this spring. He’s hit .262 with only three home runs. I wouldn’t be shocked if Ochinko has a big resurgence when he gets back to Y-D.

Chris McClendon – IF – 5’10 180
Kentucky
Junior
McClendon was one of the top junior-college recruits in the nation a year ago, and though he’s missed some time to injury this year, he’s been a big boost for the Wildcats. In 43 games, he’s hit .354 with three home runs and 30 RBI while manning third base.

Whit Merrifield – IF/OF – 6’0 175
South Carolina
Freshman
Merrifield was a pretty big recruit out of North Carolina and he has not disappointed in his freshman season. Batting in the two-hole in South Carolina’s powerful lineup, he has hit .323 with three home runs and 22 RBI. He is also 9-for-9 in stolen bases.

Robby Price – IF – 5’11 180
Kansas
Sophomore
Price was an honorable-mention all-conference pick after hitting .286 as a freshman. This season, he has hit .296 while playing mostly at second base. Price is a Northwoods League veteran, having played there before and after his freshman season.

Andy Wilkins – IF/OF – 6’1 220
Arkansas
Freshman
A power-hitting corner infielder, Wilkins has turned in a terrific freshman season for the Razorbacks. Despite missing several weeks with an injury, he has hit eight home runs, to go with a .331 batting average. Wilkins was a 25th-round pick out of high school.

Lyle Allen – OF – 6’4 210
Georgia
Freshman
Another highly-touted freshman from the SEC, Allen came to Georgia after being selected in the 22nd round of last year’s draft. He has hit .271 with two home runs and 24 RBI this season.

Khris Davis – OF – 5’11 – 193
Cal State Fullerton
Sophomore
A 29th-round pick out of high school last year, Davis made 10 starts in his freshman season but saw a lot of spot duty. This season, he has stepped into a bigger role and has hit .261 with four home runs. He has stolen 11 bases.

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