Where the Stars of Tomorrow Shine Tonight!

Article By: Joseph Barrett

With anticipation rising and excitement looming, Cape Cod is ready for yet another summer of baseball. In just four days, ten teams across the Cape will once again compete into August with one goal in mind, the league championship.

In the opening round of the MLB draft, a stellar 14 former Cape Leaguers heard their name called. These players will prepare for the next step in their careers in short time, but numerous Cape Leaguers have already established themselves as MLB stars.

Before Aaron Judge was knocking home runs out of Yankee Stadium, he was taking the field as a member of the Brewster Whitecaps. Judge was a part of the 2012 roster and made his presence felt right from the start. In 32 games, he recorded 27 hits to go along with five home runs.

In last season’s MLB playoffs, Judge ran into another former Cape Leaguer and now professional rival, Chris Sale. The lefty has been giving opposing batters trouble throughout his career and is currently the ace for the Boston Red Sox. So far in 2019, Sale is fourth in the MLB with 98 strikeouts.

Charlie Blackmon once wore the maroon and white of a Cotuit uniform and now sits atop the MLB statistics page with a .300 average this season. Blackmon spent his summer on the Cape in 2006, and has certainly cemented himself as a dangerous hitter in the big leagues.

The Anglers of Chatham received a nice boost when Whit Merrifield was added to their roster in 2009. In that season, Merrifield racked up 16 hits and portrayed his speed as well with seven stolen bases. A decade later, he finds himself at number six in the MLB in hits with 73.

Another player who brought the Chatham faithful to their feet is two time MLB All-Star Kris Bryant. The accolades have piled up for Bryant, who also has an MVP and a Rookie of the Year award to his name. 2019 is no disappointment for Bryant either as he’s collected 57 hits and 36 RBIs thus far.

Current members of the Cape Cod Baseball League will surely aim to replicate the successes of these players. The season begins on Monday, June 10th where all ten teams will be in action.