Where the Stars of Tomorrow Shine Tonight!

Max Viera - Photo: MK Prosy Gilbert

Article By: Daniel Curren

Max Viera stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth looking to extend his team’s game on Thursday against the Wareham Gatemen. There were two outs in the inning and Yarmouth-Dennis had the tying run on second in a 5-3 ballgame.

Representing the winning run, Viera stood in the way of Wareham’s hopes to steal the game on the road. Pressure was on. To add to the intensity, standing 60.6 feet away was Daniel Frontera, Viera’s teammate and roommate at Seton Hall.

“I faced him in the beginning of the year during inter squads and whatnot,” Viera said, “but not in a real life setting like this.”

Viera drew a walk on a 3-2 count against his roommate, allowing the Red Sox to eventually tie the game in the 9th, and walk it off in the 10th.

Following his junior collegiate season, the Y-D second baseman has enjoyed success early this summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League.

The 5-10 right-handed hitter has slashed .419/.458/.465 for a .923 OPS in 48 plate appearances in his first 11 games of the Cape League. His batting average ranks third highest on the Cape, his on-base percentage ranks seventh, and his slugging percentage ranks 13th.

Viera has been a spark plug for Y-D’s potent offense. The team leads the Cape League in average (.278) and they rank second in OBP (.353) and SLG (.362).

“I’d say like, I’m hitting balls consistently pretty hard,” Viera said. “I’ve had the pleasure of having a lot of good players around me. So I think learning their routines and their mindset has helped me make my game better.”

Viera is pleased with the start he has had to his season, but sees this as only the beginning.

“My goals were just to come out here and prove who I was, and I’m proud of myself thus far,” Viera said. “But there’s still a lot more work to do, and the season has just started so not even close to being done yet.”

Viera’s stellar play this season has caught the attention of Yarmouth-Dennis manager Scott Pickler.

“He’s been consistent all the way through,” Pickler said. “He takes quality at-bats every time.

Pickler appreciates the endless effort that Viera puts into every pitch. He doesn’t let his offense define his defense, and vice versa.

“The good ones up here play every pitch. They know how to play every pitch on defense. They know how to approach an at-bat and they don’t get intimidated,” Pickler said. “[Viera] is very confident and it’s showing in his way he plays his game.”