Early Look: Brewster

BREWSTER WHITECAPS
Manager: Tom Myers
2008 Record: 19-21-4

It’s a year of fresh starts in Brewster, where the Whitecaps welcome a new manager, and potentially, an entirely new roster. Tom Myers, the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at UC Santa Barbara, takes over as manager for Bob Macaluso, who was at the helm for seven years. Myers inherits a team with one player who played in Brewster last year, and that’s Yasmani Grandal, who could end up with Team USA.

But while there’s a shortage of Cape League experience, there’s no shortage of college experience. With only four freshman — two of whom are redshirt freshmen — Brewster appears to have the oldest team in the league.

And a lot of their sophomores will be out to prove something.

Out of all the teams I’ve previewed so far, Brewster had the most players who went through sub-par 2009 seasons. If you read through the bios, you can see it. There are pitchers who were Freshman All-Americans last year and charted ERA’s above five this year. There are hitters who hit over .300 in their first year and dipped well below that this year. If this is really is a year of fresh starts in Brewster, there will be a long list of guys looking for their own. How it turns out for them could say a lot for Brewster’s season.

There are several players who won’t need fresh starts, but a lot of them might not be making it to Brewster, either. Jarrett Parker and Jedd Gyorko, the hitters who had the best seasons, have both been invited to Team USA, and Grandal isn’t far behind those two in terms of ’09 success. It also looks like four players will be in Omaha when the Cape season begins.

So a lot will fall to the players in need of big summers, and it’ll be interesting to see what they deliver.

The pitching staff is a little light on weekend starters, but that was the case this time last year, too, and Brewster ended up having solid starting pitching. Guys like Sean Hoelscher, Matt Lujan and Danny Sandbrink will need bounce-back summers. Guys who had success out of the pen this spring like David Goforth and Tyler Thornburg will also be key.

As for the offense, it looks like the Whitecaps should be stronger there. Even if Parker, Gyorko and Grandal end up with Team USA, there’s a decent nucleus with Mark Canha, Tobias Streich, Tim Ferguson and Harold Martinez.

All in all, I don’t think Brewster has the depth of Cotuit, Bourne or Falmouth, and there are certainly a lot of players who struggled this spring.

But I wouldn’t be shocked to see Brewster have success this year. You never know how the roster will shake out, and the chance for those fresh starts can’t be entirely ignored. If the Cape League is a proving ground, I’ll gladly take a bunch of players with a little extra to prove.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 1
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 22
Freshmen: 4

Notable

• To get an idea of the how the pitching staff shakes out, take a look at the Five Players I’m Excited to See section, which includes no pitchers. That doesn’t mean there’s no talent. Just that there aren’t many guys who had good numbers this spring. But I’ll say this: in the Cape League, I’d rather have a group of pitchers who struggled than a group of hitters who struggled. Wooden bats change everything.
• One guy who could give Brewster’s staff a big lift is San Diego ace Kyle Blair. People are hearing that he’ll be added to the roster, and that’s good news for the Whitecaps. Blair was a fifth-round pick out of high school and pitched briefly for Chatham last year. He had a 3.13 ERA this year and struck out 62 in 54.2 innings.
• If Blair indeed comes to Brewster, you can bet he won’t be the only addition. The Whitecaps haven’t updated their roster in quite some time, so it will almost certainly look a little different when the season opens.
• Keep an eye on Erik Goeddel this spring. As I wrote below, he has a long track record in the scouting world, but he just hasn’t been able to add to it much because of injury. Depending on how he’s holding up these days, this could be a prime opportunity for Goeddel to re-establsih himself.
• I wouldn’t discount the impact of experience on the Brewster roster. Freshmen often struggle on the Cape. Plenty of sophomores do too, of course, but the extra year can be a big one.
• The fact that Virginia is heading for Omaha means the Whitecaps will be waiting for the services of Jarrett Parker, John Barr and Neal Davis. In the case of Parker, that might not be a bad thing. If the Cavaliers can make a deep run, Parker is less likely to go with Team USA.
• As I wrote the bios, I was getting a little nervous about Brewster’s offense. The players with the best numbers were all Team USA invites. But the list saved the best for last. Mark Canha was Cal’s best hitter this season, hitting for average and power.
• Grandal could potentially be the best catching prospect on the Cape, but even if Team USA takes him, Tobias Streich would be a pretty good consolation prize. He’s one of the best catchers in the Big East.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Jarrett Parker
2. Jedd Gyorko
3. Mark Canha
4. Harold Martinez
5. Yasmani Grandal

Pitchers

Scott Alexander – LHP – 6’2 200 – Pepperdine – Sophomore
Sean Bierman – LHP – 6’0 190 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
Neal Davis – LHP – 6’6 210 – Virginia – Junior
Erik Goeddel – RHP – 6’3 180 – UCLA – RS Freshman
David Goforth – RHP – 5’11 184 – Ole Miss – RS Freshman
Sean Hoelscher – RHP – 6’3 196 – TCU – Sophomore
Matt Lujan – LHP – 6’1 205 – San Francisco – Sophomore
Casey Schmidt – RHP – 6’3 205 – San Diego – RS Sophomore
Danny Sandbrink – RHP – 6’2 200 – Stanford – Sophomore
Sean Tierney – LHP – 6’5 190 – James Madison – Sophomore
Stayton Thomas – RHP – 5’11 175 – Texas – Sophomore
Tyler Thornburg – RHP/OF – 5’11 175 – Charleston Southern – Sophomore

Scott Alexander – LHP – 6’2 200
Pepperdine
Sophomore

A 37th-round pick out of high school, Alexander has a solid career at Pepperdine. This year, he went 4-5 with a 4.11 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 65.2 innings pitched. Opponents hit .230 against him and he didn’t allow a home run all year. Pepperdine’s web site has a list of summer placements and Alexander isn’t on it, so I’m not sure what the deal is there.

Sean Bierman – LHP – 6’0 190
Vanderbilt
Sophomore

Bierman, a late-round pick out of high school, did not have a great first season in Nashville, but his second one was much better. One of the team’s most improved pitchers in the fall, Bierman carried it over to the spring by posting a 4.57 ERA while pitching mostly in relief. He struck out 37 and walked 15 in 43.1 innings.

Neal Davis – LHP – 6’6 210
Virginia
Junior

Davis has been a key part of Virginia’s bullpen the last two seasons. Last year, he posted a 1.58 ERA, second-best among Cavalier relievers. He also had a streak of 27.2 scoreless innings. This year, Davis hasn’t been quite as good, with an ERA of 4.63.

Erik Goeddel – RHP – 6’3 180
UCLA
RS Freshman

Goeddel was on the Y-D roster last summer but didn’t make it, just another part of a lost year for the highly-touted Goeddel. He was originally rated as the second-best pitcher in the class of 2007 by Baseball America, but an injury in his senior season kept him from getting drafted. He then missed all of his freshman season. This spring, Goeddel finally saw some time on the mound, posting a 3.38 ERA in nine relief appearances.

David Goforth – RHP – 5’11 184
Ole Miss
RS Freshman

Goforth has been lights out in his first season in Oxford, putting up a 2.80 ERA while making 25 appearances out of the pen, the second-highest total on the team. He has struck out 36 in 35.1 innings.

Sean Hoelscher – RHP – 6’3 196
TCU
Sophomore

Hoelscher had an ERA over five as a freshman, but his 7-3 record and good strikeout numbers earned him some Freshman All-America nods. This year, Hoelscher has gone 2-2 with a 7.03 ERA. He struck out 22 in 24.1 innings, but walked 20.

Matt Lujan – LHP – 6’1 205
San Francisco
Sophomore

Like Hoelscher, Lujan was a Freshman All-American last year on the strength of a 7-2 record and a 3.17 ERA. His second season with the Dons hasn’t been as good. Lujan finished 5-7 with a 5.74 ERA. He struck out 52 in 80 innings.

Casey Schmidt – RHP – 6’3 205
San Diego
RS Sophomore

Schmidt hasn’t pitched in a college game since 2007, when he went 6-1 with a 3.12 ERA in his freshman season at Creighton. After that, he missed all of 2008 with an injury and transferred to San Diego, where he sat out this season due to NCAA transfer rules.

Danny Sandbrink – RHP – 6’2 200
Stanford
Sophomore

Sandbrink surged to a strong freshman season in Palo Alto last year, finishing with a 2.81 ERA. This year, he had his share of trouble, going 1-1 with a 7.09 ERA. He struck out 22 and walked 16 in 33 innings.

Sean Tierney – LHP – 6’5 190
James Madison
Sophomore

Tierney, like Schmidt, will be playing this summer after not pitching at all this spring. Tierney transferred from Virginia and sat out this season. At Virginia, Tierney made only two appearances, finishing with a 6.75 ERA. He was a 35th-round pick out of high school.

Stayton Thomas – RHP – 5’11 175
Texas
Sophomore

Thomas was lights-out as a reliever last season, leading the team in appearances and finishing with a 3.82 ERA. He has been even better this year, with a 2.11 ERA and a 4-0 record out of the pen.

Tyler Thornburg – RHP/OF – 5’11 175
Charleston Southern
Sophomore

After making solid contributions in two spots as a freshman, Thornburg became a standout at those spots these season. As a pitcher, he made 16 relief appearances and put up a 3.73 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 31.1 innings. As a hitter, he finished with a .292 batting average and a team-high 12 home runs.

Position Players

*Yasmani Grandal – C – 6’2 210 – Miami – Sophomore
Zach Jones – C – 6’0 185 – Stanford – Sophomore
Tobias Streich – C – 6’0 210 – West Virginia – Sophomore
Lyle Allen – OF/1B – 6’3 210 – Georgia – Sophomore
Tim Ferguson – IF – 6’1 184 – Ole Miss – Sophomore
Niko Gallego – IF – 5’11 165 – UCLA – Sophomore
Jedd Gyorko – IF – 5’10 195 – West Virginia – Sophomore
Harold Martinez – IF – 6’3 200 – Miami – Freshman
Tant Shepherd – 3B/OF – 5’11 210 – Texas – Sophomore
Colin Walsh – IF – 6’1 200 – Stanford – Sophomore
Davy Wright – UTIL – 6’1 195 – TCU – Freshman
Stephen Yarrow – IF – 6’4 205 – San Francisco – Sophomore
John Barr – OF – 6’2 190 – Virginia – Sophomore
Mark Canha – OF – 6’2 195 – California – Sophomore
Jarrett Parker – OF – 6’4 205 – Virginia – Sophomore

Yasmani Grandal – C – 6’2 210
Miami
Sophomore

A 27th-round pick out of high school who was projected to go much higher, Grandal split time behind the plate last year but still lived up to much of the hype. Last summer, he played 20 games for Brewster and hit .279. He followed that up with a strong sophomore season, finishing at .299 with 16 home runs and 45 RBI. Grandal has been invited to Team USA.

Zach Jones – C – 6’0 185
Stanford
Sophomore

Jones started every game for Stanford this year but didn’t have a great season at the plate. He ended up hitting .239 with three home runs and 26 RBI. Jones was a 45th-round pick out of high school and hit .249 as a freshman.

Tobias Streich – C – 6’0 210
West Virginia
Sophomore

Last year Streich became just the second freshman to serve as West Virginia’s everyday catcher and he delivered a solid season. This year, he emerged as one of the top catchers in the Big East, hitting .322 with six home runs and 57 RBI.

Lyle Allen – OF/1B – 6’3 210
Georgia
Sophomore

Allen had a good first season at Georgia and by the end of it, he was the starting left fielder for the Bulldogs in Omaha. This year, Allen hit .255 with five home runs and 23 RBI.

Tim Ferguson – IF – 6’1 184
Ole Miss
Sophomore

Ferguson has had to fight for time in each of his first two years in Oxford but he has made an impression, even without an everyday job. After hitting .289 last year, he led the team with a .358 average this year. He also added 12 extra-base hits, 21 RBI and 18 stolen bases.

Niko Gallego – IF – 5’11 165
UCLA
Sophomore

The son of former Major Leaguer Mike Gallego, Niko has put together two pretty good seasons as UCLA’s shortstop. After hitting .317 as a freshman, he hit .279 this season. Though he didn’t hit a home run, he knocked in 27, stole six bases and committed just nine errors.

Jedd Gyorko – IF – 5’10 195
West Virginia
Sophomore

Gyorko was a star as a freshman, finishing with a .409 average and eight home runs. He didn’t miss a beat this season and even out-did himself. He hit .421 with eight home runs, 28 doubles and 58 RBI, all while dealing with the switch from second base to shortstop. That doubles total was second-best in the country. Gyorko has been invited to Team USA.

Harold Martinez – IF – 6’3 200
Miami
Freshman

Like Grandal last year, Martinez will come to Brewster as a highly-touted Miami freshman. Once thought of as a potential first-round pick, Martinez had some struggles in his senior year of high school and slipped to the 19th round. Miami was happy to welcome him to campus, and he delivered a pretty good freshman season. He hit .270 with nine home runs, 11 doubles and 47 RBI.

Tant Shepherd – 3B/OF – 5’11 210
Texas
Sophomore

Shepherd has been a versatile performer since day one, and he hit .357 as a freshman. This year, his average went down to .264 but he did total 17 extra-base hits.

Colin Walsh – IF – 6’1 200
Stanford
Sophomore

Walsh only got nine starts as a freshman on Stanford’s 2008 CWS team, but he was a key player off the bench and he delivered a .323 average. This year, he grabbed a starting job and led the team with a .320 average. He didn’t hit a home run but he did have 11 doubles.

Davy Wright – UTIL – 6’1 195
TCU
Freshman

A high-school standout on the hill and at the plate, Wright was rated as one of Texas’ top 100 prospects, but he only played in one game this season. Perhaps there was an injury. I haven’t been able to find anything.

Stephen Yarrow – IF – 6’4 205
San Francisco
Sophomore

Yarrow didn’t see a ton of action as a freshman but was an honorable mention all-league pick last summer in the West Coast Collegiate League. This year, he hit .277 with a team-best 13 home runs and 44 RBI.

John Barr – OF – 6’2 190
Virginia
Sophomore

Barr had a great 2008 season in Charlottesville, leading the Cavaliers in both batting average and on-base percentage. This year, he is hitting .305 for the Omaha-bound Cavaliers.

Jarrett Parker – OF – 6’4 205
Virginia
Sophomore

Parker didn’t have as good a freshman season as his teammate Barr, but he has been out-of-this-world this season. A surefire All-Conference and All-America pick, Parker has hit .369 with 16 home runs, 42 extra-base hits, 65 RBI and 19 stolen bases. A potential five-tool talent, Parker has been invited to Team USA.

Mark Canha – OF – 6’2 195
California
Sophomore

After a decent but not spectacular freshman season, Canha burst onto the scene this year in a big way. He ended up leading the Bears in every major offensive category. He hit .366, blasted 12 home runs, totaled 17 doubles and drove in 43. He also led the team with a .444 on-base percentage.

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