2011 Early Look: Cotuit Kettleers

Cotuit Kettleers
Manager: Mike Roberts
2010 Record: 19-23-2

Yes, you did read that right. The Cotuit Kettleers went 19-23-2 last season. I had kind of forgotten that.

Because the Kettleers also won the Cape League championship. That’s the part you remember.

It was a special run for the Kettleers, who didn’t look much like a title contender during the season. But they got hot at exactly the right moment, sweeping their way to the championship then beating Y-D — the team with the best record — in three games.

It’s also a reminder of how crazy a Cape League summer can be — and how tough it is to predict anything this time of year. Last season, I waited until the last possible moment to write Cotuit’s early look, because their roster was so in flux. They had more changes and earlier changes than anybody. You could see the potential; what you couldn’t see was how Mike Roberts would actually fill out a lineup card. There was a lot of uncertainty.

You’d think the uncertainty must have gone away, that that’s how they won. But it really never did. The Kettleers had 41 different players suit up for them last summer. The team that won the championship didn’t look much like the one that played Wareham on the first night of the season, but with eight teams now making the playoffs, it didn’t really matter. The Kettleers got their chance and seized it.

In terms of 2011, this is all a very roundabout way of saying that I don’t know exactly how the Kettleers stack up. Their roster is pretty small at this point, so there will be additions. But they do have some of the best returning players in the league in Deven Marrero, Brady Rodgers and Mike Yastrzemski. That’s a pretty good starting point. Throw in some guys primed to make a big impression, like Victor Roache and Ryon Healy, and you’ve got a lot of nice pieces. The nucleus looks much like it did last year — short on depth but long on talent.

Can the Kettleers win their second straight title? Definitely. I see a lot to like.

And after last year, I certainly wouldn’t count them out.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 3
Sophomores: 14
Freshmen: 6

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Deven Marrero
2. Victor Roache
3. Brady Rodgers
4. Cory Spangenberg
5. Ryon Healy

Notable

I’ve touched on this before, but one of the interesting things about this year is that top prospects aren’t quite as established, and there’s a lot of room for under-the-radar guys to break in. I don’t know how Victor Roache was under my radar, but I guess I wasn’t the only one. Roache is a relatively recent addition to the Cotuit roster, but he’s beyond deserving. The Georgia Southern sophomore leads the nation with 27 home runs. In a year where offense is down because of the new bat requirements, Roache is laughing in the face of an offensive dip. The 6’1, 225-pound outfielder should be fun to watch this summer. He already has more home runs than any 2010 Cape Leaguer hit last spring.

Cory Spangenberg is a definite player to watch — if we get to see him. On the heels of an MVP campaign in the Valley League last summer, the junior-college stand-out and Miami commitment may end up going in the first round of June’s draft. That doesn’t rule him out for the Cape, but it’ll probably be a fluid situation.

On paper, the Cotuit offense looks good. We talked about Roache, and Deven Marrero was perhaps the top freshman on the Cape last year. The Kettleers also have Mike Yastrzemski back in the fold, and guys like Patrick Biondi, Torsten Boss, Chris O’Dowd and just about everybody else look like really solid performers.

And of course, when we’re talking Mike Roberts team, there’s speed. Biondi leads a speedy group with 25 steals.

Two freshman from Oregon will make the long journey and should give Cotuit a big boost. Ryon Healy and Stefan Sabol are having solid first seasons in Eugene, and they’re no strangers to summer success. They earned top prospect honors in their respective summer leagues last year.

The Cape always has a lot of Major League Baseball bloodlines, but how about the NFL? Sabol is a cousin of Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.

At some point, Cotuit is going to find some more pitchers, because right now, they have seven. They actually had a similar number this time last year and that worked out okay. Their late additions included fourth-rounder Austin Wood and ninth-rounder Josh Spence.

I’m going to go ahead and start a campaign: “Brady Rodgers: No Walks 2011.” He walked five in 31.1 innings on the Cape last summer and has walked six in 68.2 innings this spring. Let’s shoot for zero this summer, Brady.

Rodgers looks like the leader of Cotuit’s small staff, but I think all these guys are poised for good summers. Keep an eye on Keenan Kish, Dillon Overton and Kevin Ziomek. All are highly-touted freshman who could use the summer to really break out.

Pitchers

Chris Beck – RHP – 6’3 225 – Georgia Southern – Sophomore
Michael Clevinger – RHP – 6’4 190 – Seminole State – Sophomore
Nick Cunningham – RHP – 6’2 196 – Arizona – Sophomore
Keenan Kish – RHP/OF – 6’3 193 – Florida – Freshman
Dillon Overton – LHP – 6’2 170 – Oklahoma – Freshman
*Brady Rodgers – RHP – 6’2 175 – Arizona State – Sophomore
Kevin Ziomek – LHP – 6’3 190 – Vanderbilt – Freshman

Chris Beck – RHP – 6’3 225
Georgia Southern
Sophomore

Beck was a 35th-round pick out of high school in 2009, but didn’t have a great first season for Georgia Southern, finishing with an 8.31 ERA. This year, though, it’s been a much different story. Beck is 7-3 with a 3.24 ERA, and in 77.2 innings, he has struck out 84. That ranks him second in the Southern Conference in strikeouts.

Michael Clevinger – RHP – 6’4 190
Seminole State
Sophomore

Clevinger was previously at The Citadel, but has spent this season in the juco ranks with Seminole State. He’s been impressive out of the bullpen, with a 2.84 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 31.2 innings.

Nick Cunningham – RHP – 6’2 196
Arizona
Sophomore

Cunningham had an impressive first year for the Wildcats, setting a freshman record for appearances while saving three games and striking out almost a batter an inning. His sophomore year hasn’t been quite as good — Cunningham has a 5.51 ERA in 14 appearances.

Keenan Kish – RHP/OF – 6’3 193
Florida
Freshman

Kish was an early-round talent coming out of Germantown, Pa., but his commitment to Florida sent him tumbling to the 34th round, and he headed south. The Gators are stacked with pitching talent so Kish hasn’t had a ton of opportunities but he has made the most of the ones he’s gotten. In eight innings of work, Kish has allowed just two hits and no runs, and opponents are hitting .083. He has struck out six.

Dillon Overton – LHP – 6’2 170
Oklahoma
Freshman

Overton was a 26th-round pick out of high school but stuck with his commitment to Oklahoma. He’s been used as a starter and a reliever, and he’s been very good regardless of when he’s pitching. Overton is 8-3 with a 1.97 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 64 innings.

Brady Rodgers – RHP – 6’2 175
Arizona State
Sophomore

Rodgers was a 39th-round pick out of high school in 2009, and he quickly emerged as one of the top freshmen in the country once he arrived at ASU. He ended up setting a school record for lowest ERA by a freshman pitcher. He followed that with a very good summer for Cotuit, going 2-2 with a 2.87 ERA. He was named the Cape’s 21st-best prospect by Baseball America. This year, Rodgers hasn’t really missed a beat while moving into the rotation. He’s 7-3 with a 3.15 ERA and 55 strikeouts against just six walks.

Kevin Ziomek – LHP – 6’3 190
Vanderbilt
Freshman

Hailing from Amherst, Mass., Ziomek was considered the top high-school prospect in New England last year, and he was drafted in the 13th round by Arizona. He headed to Vanderbilt, though, and he’s having a very impressive first season. In 21 appearances — five starts — Ziomek has a 1.96 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 36.2 innings.

Position Players

Patrick Biondi – OF – 5’9 163 – Michigan – Sophomore
Torsten Boss – 3B – 6’0 190 – Michigan State – Sophomore
Ryon Healy – RHP/INF – 6’5 210 – Oregon – Freshman
Micah Johnson – INF – 5’11 190 – Indiana – Sophomore
Luke Maile – C – 6’3 210 – Kentucky – Sophomore
*Deven Marrero – INF – 6’1 185 – Arizona State – Sophomore
Chris O’Dowd – C – 5’11 185 – Dartmouth – Sophomore
Victor Roache – OF – 6’1 225 – Georgia Southern – Sophomore
Stefan Sabol – C – 6’1 203 – Oregon – Freshman
Cory Spangenberg – INF – 6’1 180 – Indian River – Sophomore
Logan Vick – OF – 5’11 185 – Baylor – Sophomore
Kyle Wren – OF – 5’9 158 – Georgia Tech – Freshman
*Michael Yastrzemski – OF – 5’10 170 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore

Patrick Biondi – OF – 5’9 163
Michigan
Sophomore

Biondi was a 35th-round pick out of high school and he had a great first season first season in Ann Arbor, hitting .313 while setting a school freshman record with 29 stolen bases. He’s been solid again this season, with a .297 average, 20 RBI and 25 steals.

Torsten Boss – 3B – 6’0 190
Michigan State
Sophomore

Boss owns the Michigan high-school record for career triples, but he actually didn’t hit any in his freshman year with the Spartans. That was okay, though — he did just about everything else. Boss hit .341 with six homers and 41 RBI, before earning all-league honors in the Prospect League last summer. He has picked up where he left off this season and is hitting .366 with six homers and 54 RBI.

Ryon Healy – INF/RHP – 6’5 210
Oregon
Freshman

Healy made a splash on the college baseball landscape even before he got to Oregon. Following his senior year of high school, he played in the California Collegiate League and was named the top prospect by Baseball America. While he has a big arm, it was his bat that stood out, as Healy hit .360 with a league-high 17 doubles. At Oregon, Healy hasn’t disappointed. He has pitched well in three games but has made a bigger impact at the plate, where he’s hitting .337 with three home runs.

Micah Johnson – INF – 5’11 190
Indiana
Sophomore

Johnson made a splash last season, hitting .312 with 11 homers in his freshman campaign with the Hoosiers. His power is down a bit this year, but he’s still hitting .312 with two homers and 31 RBI. He has also stolen 18 bases.

Luke Maile – C – 6’3 210
Kentucky
Sophomore

Maile was a late-round pick out of high school and didn’t get a huge opportunity to shine in his first year with Kentucky. But last summer, he break out and hit .318 to lead his team to the New York Collegiate Baseball League championship. This spring, Maile is getting his opportunity and making the most of it. He’s batting .287 with a team-high nine home runs.

Deven Marrero – INF – 6’1 185
Arizona State
Sophomore

A 17th-round pick in 2009, Marrero has consistently been ranked as one of the top prospects in his class. In his first year with the Sun Devils, he hit .397 with six home runs, and he continued to shine in Cotuit, where he hit .306 and was arguably the top freshman in the league. Baseball America named him the league’s seventh-best prospect. This year, his average is down a bit to .320, and he has two home runs with 15 RBI. Before the college season, he was tabbed as the seventh-best prospect for the 2012 draft by Perfect Game.

Chris O’Dowd – C – 5’11 185
Dartmouth
Sophomore

O’Dowd was voted Dartmouth’s Offensive Player of the Year last season and was named the Ivy League Co-Rookie of the Year after he hit .384 with six home runs. This year, O’Dowd has been very good again. He’s hitting .326 with a team-high seven home runs. Out of high school, O’Dowd was a 40th-round pick.

Victor Roache – OF – 6’1 225
Georgia Southern
Sophomore

Roache hit .252 with eight home runs last season. Not bad for a freshman year, but compared with what Roache is doing this year, those numbers look pedestrian. Roache currently leads the nation in home runs with 27. He’s also hitting .338 with 75 RBI and a .427 on-base percentage. A 25th-round pick out of high school, Roache is now officially one of the best power hitters in the country.

Stefan Sabol – C – 6’1 203
Oregon
Freshman

A top-ranked player out of high school, Sabol slipped to the 17th round because of a strong commitment to Oregon. He then followed the same path as his teammate Healy last summer, just in a different league. Sabol was tabbed by Baseball America as the top prospect in the West Coast League. In Eugene, Sabol has hit .269 with a homer and 12 RBI.

Cory Spangenberg – INF – 6’1 180
Indian River
Sophomore

Spangenberg earned Big South Freshman of the Year honors last season then lit up the Valley League, hitting .399 and earning Most Valuable Player honors. He then transferred to Indian River State College, a juco program, and is still slugging to the tune of .477 with five home runs. Spangenberg is committed to Miami for next year, but as mentioned above, he’s been labeled as a first-round talent for this year’s draft by Baseball America.

Logan Vick – OF – 5’11 185
Baylor
Sophomore

Vick earned first-team Freshman All-America honors last season after hitting .329 with 10 home runs. This year has been more of a struggle. Vick is hitting .211 with two homers, so he’ll be looking for a bounce back in Cotuit.

Kyle Wren – OF – 5’9 158
Georgia Tech
Freshman

Wren has had an outstanding first season for the Yellow Jackets and is a shoo-in for Freshman All-America honors. He leads the team with a .374 average, he has 18 extra-base hits and he’s stolen 13 bases. Wren is the son of Atlanta Braves general manager Frank Wren.

Michael Yastrzemski – OF – 5’10 170
Vanderbilt
Sophomore

Yastrzemski was a key piece to the puzzle for Cotuit last summer, hitting .235 and leading the team with 17 RBI. He’s been a mainstay for Vanderbilt throughout his sophomore season, hitting .299 with 32 RBI while starting each of the team’s 50 games. And in case you missed it last year, Yastrzemski is the grandson of Red Sox great Carl.