Where the Stars of Tomorrow Shine Tonight!

Article By: Brian Butler

The 2023 MLB Draft came to a conclusion on Sunday afternoon, and the Cape League was front and center throughout the entire process. From the first overall pick of Paul Skenes (Wareham ‘21) to the 617th and final pick of Pascanel Ferrera (Y-D ‘21/’22), a total of 219 past and present Cape League players made the next step in their baseball careers.

The San Francisco Giants selected the most former Cape Leaguers (12), with seven other teams also reaching double digits. Amongst Cape League teams, the Cotuit Kettleers had the most alumni selected at 39, and every team had at least 15 former players drafted. Of the 617 total selections, 35.5% had appeared in the Cape League at some point, and 44.3% of the college players selected were Cape League alumni.

The round that had the most Cape League selections was the Second Round, which featured 20 former players, including 2022 All-Stars Mitch Jebb (Hyannis), Luke Keaschall (Orleans), Cole Carrigg (Y-D), Mike Boeve (Y-D), Ryan Lasko (Brewster) and Caden Grice (Chatham). 2023 also marked the fifth year of the past six that the first overall pick was a former Cape Leaguer, with Jackson Holliday (2022) being the only exception as a high school selection. 13 of the 20 rounds had at least 10 alumni selected, with three (Rounds 2, 4, and 7), having at least half of their selections be from the Cape.

Several of this year’s selections were selected directly from their fields before the game. Johnny Olmstead of Orleans was mobbed by his teammates upon hearing the Marlins selected him in the 18th Round. Y-D’s Brady Day was selected by Atlanta in the 13th Round, and his teammates were immediately there to greet him. Another Y-D player and Atlanta draftee, catcher Will King, had his brother and his childhood best friend present to provide an embrace following his being selected in the 20th Round. Orleans’s Riley Frey had his teammates chase him up a hill in Brewster to celebrate his being taken by the Braves in the 19th Round. Brewster’s Josh Timmerman went to the Brewers, and his teammates found him immediately.

The MLB Draft was an incredible event, and the Cape League, as always, had a massive amount of players selected. The 35.5% of selections tops last summer’s 32%, and the 218 total selections is an increase from last year’s 197. In the 100th year of the Cape Cod Baseball League, the pipeline into professional baseball is as strong as ever.