With the MLB Draft coming up on Sunday, there’s no better time to take a look back at the imprint the Cape Cod Baseball League has on professional baseball. Many of baseball’s top talents from Single-A to the Major Leagues have spent time playing baseball in the Cape League, and the first step toward stardom is the MLB Draft. In six of the last seven years, the first overall pick has been a Cape League alumni. 2025 marks another year where some of the best prospects at the top of Draft boards come from the Cape League, and in total, 41 of Baseball America’s top 100 Draft prospects have played on the Cape. Here is a comprehensive preview of the 2025 MLB Draft, through the lens of the Cape League:

5. Aiva Arquette, SS, Chatham ’24 (Oregon State)

Baseball America’s top-ranked Cape League alumnus for the 2025 Draft, Arquette started all 65 games at shortstop for Oregon State this spring, posting a .354 batting average with 19 home runs. The Hawaii native played 29 games for the Chatham Anglers last summer with a slash line of .291/.357/.437/.794. At 6-foot-5, Arquette blends athleticism with fluidity up the middle and has been a consistent performer at the plate in college while flashing raw power from the right side. He has a chance to feature early in the first round as one of the best college hitters in the class.

7. Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Chatham ’24 (Oklahoma)

As another 2024 Chatham Angler and the highest Cape League arm projected to be drafted this year, Witherspoon shot up Draft boards after a dominant 2024 summer and 2025 collegiate season. He posted a 1.00 ERA over his two starts in Chatham last summer, and his 95-97 mph fastball paired with a lethal slider has him ranked as the top right-handed pitcher. At Oklahoma, he struck out 124 hitters over 95 innings pitched to the tune of a 2.65 ERA. Witherspoon will be an immediate boost to any team’s pitching development program.

12. Ike Irish, C/OF, Brewster ’23/Chatham ’24 (Auburn)

The consensus All-American entered 2025 on a short list of top catching prospects but moved to the outfield in March after an injury to his shoulder blade on a hit-by-pitch — Irish proved his versatility by handling the change well. No matter where he plays on the diamond, his hit tool plays in the box with a .364 average and 1.179 OPS this spring. A left-handed batter, Irish has shown the ability to hit to all fields against all types of pitchers. He hit .325 in 35 games with Chatham last summer.

14. Marek Houston, SS, Bourne ’24 (Wake Forest)

Premier defense at shortstop and a surefire hit tool are Houston’s callings. He’ll be just the latest in a long lineage of Wake Forest talents selected in the first round, but few are as elite defenders as he is. Houston had a solid 2024 summer with Bourne, slashing .306/.465/.329/.794 in 29 games, but really popped after a junior campaign where he blasted a career-best 15 home runs and drove in 66 runs. He gets on base fairly often with a 1:1 K/BB in 2025, and is a threat to steal on the basepaths too.

16. Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Y-D ’24 (Arkansas)

Aloy was arguably the best player in college baseball in 2025, winning the Golden Spikes Award and SEC Player of the Year. He slashed .350/.434/.673/1.107 with 21 home runs and 68 RBIs. A right-handed batter, Aloy’s strength and bat speed produce serious pop to the pull side. He possesses soft hands and a strong arm at short. Last summer with Y-D, Aloy hit eight homers in just 21 games. Three of those bombs came in one game on the Fourth of July.

17. Jace LaViolette, OF, Falmouth ’23 (Texas A&M)

Early Draft projections had LaViolette as the top prospect in the Draft and likely first overall pick. After a brief stint in Falmouth in 2023, he was one of the best collegiate players in 2024, when hit 29 home runs with a 1.175 OPS. However, LaViolette struggled in 2025 in a season where Texas A&M didn’t even make the NCAA playoffs. With a 6-foot-6, 230-pound frame, the outfielder can hit for plus power, but the strikeout rate jumped up this season to 25.2% — although he still got on base at a .429 clip. Despite the struggles, his power and speed combination make him a highly touted prospect, and a probable first-round selection.

18. Gage Wood, RHP, Falmouth ’24 (Arkansas)

Wood cemented his legend when on June 16 he fired the third no-hitter in Men’s College World Series history and first since 1950. The right-hander struck out a record 19 batters in the game. Wood posted a 3.82 ERA over 37 2/3 innings with 69 strikeouts for the Razorbacks in 2025. In six games for Falmouth last summer, he pitched to a 1.42 ERA with 29 punchouts in 19 innings. Wood’s high-grade fastball sitting comfortably in the mid 90s, combined with a good curveball, could see him land somewhere in the middle of the first round.

21. Brendan Summerhill, OF, Wareham ’24 (Arizona)

One of the more fascinating prospects in this year’s Draft comes from Arizona, as Summerhill exclusively played center field on the Cape before transitioning to right field at school. After suffering an injury during the 2024 Cape League All-Star Game, he bounced back nicely, slashing .343/.459/.556/1.015 at Arizona. Summerhill has a projectable hit tool, not often hitting for power but can spray the ball to all fields and occasionally run into a home run. He’s quick on the basepaths too, and swiped 12 bases last summer with Wareham.

22. Ethan Conrad, OF, Bourne ’24 (Wake Forest)

Among the best players in the Cape League last summer, Conrad was named the West Division’s All-Star Game MVP. He was second in the league in both batting average and OPS at .385 and .919, respectively. Conrad spent his first two collegiate seasons at Marist before transferring to Wake Forest. With the Demon Deacons in 2025, he posted a .372 average and 1.238 OPS in 21 games before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. A repeatable lefty swing and whole-field approach produce consistent contact. Conrad’s speed allows him to steal bases and cover plenty of ground in the outfield.

25. Gavin Kilen, 2B, Falmouth ’23-24 (Tennessee)

Spending part of two summers on the Cape, Kilen posted similar numbers in both 2023-24 with Falmouth. Kilen opted to not sign with the Boston Red Sox after they drafted him in 2022 and really climbed Draft boards after a standout 2025 season at Tennessee. His innate hitting ability makes him a promising prospect on its own, but he has a slick glove suited for second base. Kilen has flashed short power outbursts, but more so profiles as an elite contact hitter that was a hit machine both summers with the Commodores.

26. Alex Lodise, SS, Hyannis ’24 (Florida State)

Right there with Aloy as one of college baseball’s best in 2025, Lodise was the ACC Player of the Year and winner of the Dick Howser National Player of the Year award this spring. The numbers back up the accolades — it was a dominant campaign at the plate with a .394 average and 1.167 OPS. Lodise has shown improvement defensively with good movement at short and a strong arm. On the Cape last summer, he hit .295 in 15 games with the Harbor Hawks.

28. Andrew Fischer, 1B, Brewster ’24 (Tennessee)

After transferring from Duke, to Ole Miss, to Tennessee, Fischer will find a more permanent home with whichever team drafts the power-hitting lefty. After a 19-game stint in Brewster where he blasted three homers, Fischer significantly cut into his chase rate during his junior year. His long-term defensive position is still up in the air as he has experience in the outfield, corner infield and even second base in the Cape League, but he projects as a strong first base candidate.

29. Caden Bodine, C, Bourne ’23-24 (Coastal Carolina)

With high contact skills from both sides as a switch-hitter and adept framing skills behind the plate, Bodine has a chance to be the top catcher in this year’s Draft. He hit .367 as a freshman in 2023 and posted a .384 average in the Cape League that summer. Bodine led Coastal Carolina to the College World Series finals this spring. He has tremendous instincts and controls the strike zone at the plate. While only leaving the yard 25 times in three college seasons, according to MLB Pipeline, he struck out just 8% of the time.

33. Max Belyeu, OF, Cotuit ’24 (Texas)

Following an outstanding 2024 season at Texas where he won Big 12 Player of the Year slashing .329/.423/.667/1.090, Belyeu made his way to the Cape to play for Cotuit. He put his offensive prowess on full display, demonstrating his contact-first approach that lends nicely to his power profile. While the 2025 numbers didn’t pop as much as the year prior, Belyeu reeled in his in-zone contact rate and solidified himself as a top Draft prospect. He projects as a solid right fielder, although he was successful in center with Cotuit.

The rest of the top 100 is as follows:

34 . Devin Taylor, OF, Cotuit ’24 (Indiana)

35. Anthony Eyanson, RHP, Cotuit ’24 (Louisiana State)

36. Ethan Petry, 1B/OF, Y-D ’24 (South Carolina)

41. Brandon Compton, OF, Cotuit ’24 (Arizona State)

47. Patrick Forbes, RHP, Brewster ’23-24 (Louisville)

50. Joseph Dzierwa, LHP, Hyannis ’24 (Michigan State)

53. Nick Dumesnil, OF, Brewster ’24 (Cal Baptist)

56. Kyle Lodise, SS, Chatham ’24 (Georgia Tech)

57. Daniel Dickinson, 2B, Harwich ’24 (Louisiana State)

58. JB Middleton, RHP, Hyannis ’23 (Southern Mississippi)

59. Mason Neville, OF, Bourne ’24 (Oregon)

60. Kane Kepley, OF, Hyannis ’24 (North Carolina)

61. JD Thompson, LHP, Bourne ’24 (Vanderbilt)

62. Charles Davalan, OF, Cotuit ’24 (Arkansas)

63. Nolan Schubart, 1B/OF, Chatham ’23/Brewster ’24 (Oklahoma State)

67. Gavin Turley, OF, Falmouth ’24 (Oregon State)

70. Henry Ford, OF, Chatham ’25 (Virginia)

73. Landon Beidelschies, LHP, Y-D ’23 (Arkansas)

81. Henry Godbout, 2B, Harwich ’24 (Virginia)

84. Chris Arroyo, 1B/LHP, Cotuit ’24 (Virginia)

87. Cam Leiter, RHP, Orleans ’23 (Florida State)

92. Jack Gurevitch, 1B, Orleans ’24 (San Diego)

93. Easton Carmichael, C, Y-D ’24 (Oklahoma)

94. Max Williams, OF, Wareham ’24 (Florida State)

95. Malachi Witherspoon, RHP, Chatham ’24 (Oklahoma)

96. James Ellwanger, RHP, Cotuit ’24 (Dallas Baptist)

99. Cody Bowker, RHP, Orleans ’24 (Vanderbilt)

Other notables:

• No. 36 Petry won the Pat Sorenti Cape League MVP and Robert A. McNeece Award for Outstanding Pro Prospect in 2024.
• No. 57 Dickinson was a key piece to the Harwich Mariners' championship run to conclude the 2024 season.
• No. 60 Kepley hit an RBI single to walk off the 2024 East vs. West All-Star Game, claiming victory for the West Division.
• No. 70 Ford is the highest-ranked Draft prospect that played in the Cape League in 2025.
• No. 95 Malachi Witherspoon is Kyson’s identical twin, and they pitched together in the Chatham Anglers' rotation.

(Featured image by Aidan Conrad)