10 games in, 30 to go. While the CCBL season feels like a marathon, the Kettleers are already chugging along right through it. The sample size is short so far, but there is already a lot one can learn about this Kettleer squad. With a record of 3-6-1, Cotuit has seen some good but also has a fair share to improve on over the rest of the season.
Takeaway One: Cotuit has no problem seeing balls outside of the zone
Walks have come easy for the Kettleers, and the team has had about two walks for every three hits so far this season. Cotuit is walking over four times per game, helping them quite a bit when they are struggling for baserunners. In total walks, the team ranks fifth in the league, with team leader Brady Christman (Mississippi State) being ranked sixth in the league with seven walks.
Takeaway Two: Getting runs early in the game is not coming easy
Before Hunter Warren ‘s (NC State) RBI single in the first inning of the game Wednesday, it had been eight days since Cotuit had scored in the first three innings of a game. Expand it to five innings, and they had just one run in that eight day span. The Kettleers have been starting off games cold at the plate, which has put them in holes that are often too great to climb out of.
Takeaway Three: The Kettleers need to get more aggressive on the bases
As it stands, the Kettleers have just been caught stealing a league-low twice this season. Despite this, the team has stolen just a league-low seven bases. While having the league’s worst batting average can explain some of this (you need baserunners to steal bases), one might think that the baserunners Cotuit gets should take advantage of their speed to swipe more bags and put the team in better positions at the plate.
Takeaway Four: Fielding certainly could be cleaner
The Kettleers have just played two games without an error so far, and there have been many other sloppy plays in the field that have cost the team bases and runs. Coach Rob Cooper has talked many times about giving the other team “free baseball” and he is not wrong at all. One particular match that stands out is the first matchup with Bourne in which four errors helped a Braves team that had just two hits push across three runs.
Takeaway Five: Pitchers keep the ball on the ground, avoid big flys
On a smaller scale, this is seen in the fact that Cotuit has given up just five long-balls, below the league median. But this applies to nearly every at-bat. When it comes to the ratio of groundouts to airouts (usually an indicator of where an opponent hits the ball), Cotuit has the largest ratio at 1.51. This means that Kettleer arms are forcing the ball to stay on the ground, preventing big hits and giving fielders a higher chance to make a play.
Takeaway Six: It hurts to be an opposing batter — literally
Across 10 games, Cotuit has hit 19 batters so far. That is tied for the most in the league, and comes out to about one every five innings. Opposing batters are being plunked at quite a high rate, and the Kettleers have been made to pay with extra runs multiple times. Notable offenders have been Tyler Brashear (Eckerd) and Grady Bivens (Transfer Portal), with eight and four hit batsmen across seven and six innings respectively.
Takeaway Seven: Pitchers put the K in Kettleers
Cotuit is one of five teams to have struck out 90 or more batters, and has the second lowest innings pitched of any of those teams. The Kettleer arms have had some particularly ruthless outings to start the season, including a 16 strikeout performance at Chatham and a 14 strikeout game at home with Wareham. Several Cotuit pitchers such as Alex Sotiropoulos (Columbia) and Jonathan Adelmann (Bucknell) have more than 12 strikeouts per nine innings. In short, Cotuit has ensured less balls come into play to begin with, limiting some big innings.
Takeaway Eight: Beware the right-handed pitcher
The Kettleers are hitting just .186 against right-handed pitchers, a whopping 36 points lower than they are against lefties. Considering Cotuit has plenty of left-handed hitters who should favor these matchups like Seojun Oh (Transfer Portal), Jake Hanley (Transfer Portal) and Landon Beaver (UAB), this is concerning. Teams will likely exploit this weakness in the future as games have higher stakes, and the Kettleers will have to be better at adjusting.
Takeaway Nine: Forget the rally caps with two-outs
Some shine when the lights get bright, others do not. So far, Cotuit has not. The team is hitting just .186 with two outs, good for second to last in the league. The Kettleers have just one extra-base hit in this scenario as well, which is the least in the league. Simply put, with the pressure high Cotuit can not “have a hit”. This has led to a lot more zeroes on the scoreboard.
Takeaway Ten: The division is wide open, giving Cotuit the chance to seize the lead
At the end of the day, the standings are still quite close in the West Division. Bourne, the leaders, are just four points ahead of Cotuit with their record of 4-3-3. With 30 games left in the regular season, there is plenty of time for the Kettleers to mount a rally and take the lead in the division or at least assert themselves in a better position.
