One of the more interesting trends in the 2009 Cape League season is the high number of recently-drafted players who have found their way to the Cape. I did a quick comparison between this year and last, and there’s definitely a difference.
Last year, six players who were picked in the first 15 rounds of that June’s draft ended up seeing some action on the Cape. The highest pick was fourth-rounder Jason Kipnis.
This year, the number is 11. The highest pick is third-rounder Bryan Morgado, who’s pitching for Bourne.
So far, most of these high picks have stuck around. They’re also almost all pitchers. Of the 11, Harwich’s Connor Powers is the only position player. The presence of pitchers like Morgado, Tyler Lyons and Chad Bell has added a new dimension to the Cape League’s arms race.
One team just caught up.
Sometimes these guys come out of nowhere — at least from the perspective of an outside observer — and that’s exactly what happened last night for Brewster. The Whitecaps used a pair of recently-added fifth-round picks — Nathan Baker (Mississippi) and Caleb Cothame (Vanderbilt) — to beat Wareham 5-1.
Baker had pitched one inning out of the bullpen before getting the start last night. He allowed one run on three hits and struck out four in four innings of work. Cotham, who pitched for Brewster last year, was even better. He surrendered just one hit in three shutout innings and struck out seven. Cotham ended up getting the win. For a Wareham team that’s struggling to hit the ball, I can’t imagine it was much of a pleasure to see those two take the mound back-to-back.
We’ll see how the rest of the summer plays out for Baker and Cotham, but their presence — however long it lasts — has to be a good thing for the Whitecaps. After last night’s game, Brewster has the second-worst team ERA in the league, and outside of Kyle Blair (San Diego), Matt Lujan (San Francisco) and Sean Hoelscher (TCU), their starting pitchers have not put up great numbers. If they end up in the rotation, Baker and Cotham could certainly provide a boost.
Whatever happens, it’s fun to see some big names make an appearance.
Elsewhere
What to Watch For Tonight
Wareham will visit Harwich for its second doubleheader in three days. Brett Eibner (Auburn) and Brandon Workman (Texas) are scheduled to go for the Gatemen against Aaron Meade (Missouri State) and Eric Jokisch (Northwestern).
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