In an effort to keep tabs on former Cape Leaguers, I present the 2012 Cape League Minor League All-Stars. The lists are divided by level. Players who spent time at two levels are listed where they spent more time. This is the sixth and last in the series.
Triple A is always an interesting mix of prospects on the way up and others who have been up and are trying to get back. The Cape League alumni list features mostly guys who are still climbing and a few who are hooking on in the majors, like former Brewster star Ryan Wheeler (pictured).
Catcher – Tim Federowicz – Albuquerque (Pacific Coast League) – Dodgers
Federowicz was a mainstay at North Carolina and a solid performer in Chatham. He was drafted by the Red Sox and was working his way through the system until he was traded last year as part of the deal for Erik Bedard. He continued to hit well this year, batting .294 with 11 homers and 76 RBI. He played briefly in 2011 and 2012 with the big club.
In the Running: Josh Phegley
First Base – David Cooper – Las Vegas (Pacific Coast League) – Mets
By the end of the season, the former Brewster Whitecap was in Toronto, where he hit .300 in 45 games. In 68 Triple A games, he batted .314 with 10 homers and 52 RBI.
In the Running: Josh Satin, Dallas McPherson, Matt LaPorta, Matt Mangini, Matt Hague, Brett Pill
Second Base: Jedd Gyorko – Tucson (Pacific Coast League) – Padres
Gyorko plays a lot of third base but may profile as a second baseman in the bigs. Wherever he is, it’s a safe bet he’ll hit. A star with Brewster in 2009 and a second-round pick in 2010, Gyorko has moved quickly through the system. In 92 games at Triple A this year, he hit .328 with 24 homers and 83 RBI.
In the Running: Cole Figueroa, Jim Negrych, Eric Farris, Johnny Giavotella, Matt Long
Third Base – Ryan Wheeler – Reno (Pacific Coast League) – Diamondbacks
A stand-out with Brewster and Loyola Marymount, Wheeler quickly became one of the top performers in the Diamondbacks’ system and even took it to a new level this year. He hit .351 in Triple A with 15 homers and 90 RBI. He earned a promotion to Arizona and played in 50 games, hitting .239.
In the Running: Jason Donald, Andy LaRoche, Brendan Harris, Conor Gillaspie, Yan Gomes, Zack Cox, Brett Wallace, Josh Donaldson
Shortstop – Ryan Jackson – Memphis (Pacific Coast League) – Cardinals
Jackson played for Hyannis in 2007 and while he didn’t hit much that summer, he was a strong defensive shortstop. While a lot of Cape League shortstops have moved off the position, Jackson is still there. He hit .272 this season with 10 homers and 47 RBI.
In the Running: Chase D’Arnaud
Outfield – Julio Borbon – Round Rock (Pacific Coast League) – Rangers
Borbon was a Cotuit Kettleer in 2005 and has been a Rangers prospect for a while now. He played a full season with Texas in 2010 and saw some time there in 2011. He spent all of this season in Round Rock, where he hit .304 with 10 homers and 56 RBI.
Outfield – Grant Green – Phoenix (Pacific Coast League) – Athletics
Green is a well-known Cape League alum, with two great seasons under his belt, 2007 in Y-D and 2008 in Chatham. He’s been a top prospect for the A’s in the first round of the 2009 draft. Though he’s no longer a shortstop, Green is still hitting. He finished at .296 with 15 homers this year.
Outfield – Corey Brown – Syracuse (International League) – Nationals
Brown played for Chatham in 2006 and has made his way steadily through the minors. This year, he .285 with 25 homers, good for second-best in the International League.
In the Running: Alex Presley, Alex Hassan, Ben Guez, Tim Wheeler, Todd Linden, Ty Wright, Brett Jackson, Chris Coghlan, A.J. Pollock
Starting Pitcher – Matt Harvey – Buffalo (International League) – Mets
Harvey pitched very well for the Mets after getting promoted late in the season. He spent most of his time at Triple A, where he had a 3.68 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 110 innings.
Starting Pitcher – Terry Doyle – Charlotte (International League) – White Sox
A Cape League mainstay, Doyle never got a ton of prospect hype and didn’t get drafted until the 37th round in 2008. But he continues to push for a chance. This year, he went 6-3 with a 2.83 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 76.1 innings pitched.
Starting Pitcher – D.J. Mitchell – Tacoma (Pacific Coast League) – Mariners
The former Bourne Brave was traded as part of the deal that brought Ichiro to New York. Between two Triple A stops, he had a 4.29 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 134.1 innings.
In the Running: Andrew Oliver, Collin McHugh, Tyler Lyons, Dallas Keuchel
Relief Pitcher – Brad Boxberger – Tucson (Pacific Coast League) – Padres
A former Orleans stand-out, Boxberger ended the year in the Padres bullpen. Before that, he had a 2.88 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 43.1 innings at Tacoma.
Relief Pitcher – Alex Wilson – Pawtucket (International League) – Red Sox
Wilson spent two years in Falmouth and was signed as an undrafted free agent by Boston in 2009. He’s rewarded them since, with solid numbers every step of the way. This year, he had 3.72 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 72.2 innings.
In the Running: Daniel Moskis, Daniel McCutchen, Nick Christiani, Chris Carpenter
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It’s worth mentioning that Doyle was actually released by the Knights so he could sign with Fukuoka in Japan. He put together some decent numbers for the SoftBank Hawks before returning home to sign in the offseason with the Boston Red Sox.