As the MLB Draft quickly approaches, many current and former Cape Cod Baseball League players are preparing to hear their names called across the 20 rounds. Among current Cape Leaguers, here are the 12 East Division players who were ranked among Baseball America’s top 500 draft prospects:
Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox
Cade McGee is ranked No. 221 on Baseball America’s top 500 rankings — Y-D’s only 2024 player ranked.
McGee, primarily a third baseman, began his collegiate career at Gonzaga before transferring to Texas Tech ahead of the 2024 season. As a freshman with the Bulldogs in 2022, McGee hit .298/.393/.514 (119 wRC+) across 54 games en route to becoming the WCC Freshman of the Year. Injuries derailed his 2023 season, but McGee hit an impressive .293/.430/.587 (140 wRC+) in his second season in Spokane. With the Red Raiders in 2024, McGee had no trouble adjusting to the Big 12, slashing .277/.446/.574 (140 wRC).
Making his Cape League debut in 2024, McGee has appeared in 18 games for the Red Sox hitting .185/.353/.241.
Chatham Anglers
Austin Overn (No. 85), Griffin Herring (No. 172), Pierce George (No. 213) and Micah Ashman (No. 296) are Chatham’s four players on Baseball America’s top 500 rankings.
A draft-eligible sophomore, Overn dominated at USC in 2023 before taking a step back in 2024. He saw his .314/.402/.530 (124 wRC+) slash line drop to .270/.349/.461 (94 wRC+) en route to returning to the Cape League for a second season after playing for Orleans in 2023. The center fielder’s return to the Cape has paid dividends, as his .993 OPS ranks second among qualified hitters.
Also a draft-eligible sophomore, Herring established himself as one of the best Division I relievers in 2024. After pitching 34 1/3 innings to a 3.93 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 2023, the left-hander pitched 50 1/3 innings to a 1.79 ERA with 67 strikeouts, earning him Baseball America Second-Team All-American honors. Herring had a 1.69 ERA and 10 strikeouts over 10 2/3 innings with Chatham.
George, another draft-eligible sophomore, began his collegiate career at Texas before transferring to Alabama. Across his two collegiate seasons, the right-hander pitched 13 1/3 innings to a 6.08 ERA. Still, his 6-foot-6 frame and powerful fastball make him an intriguing prospect. George struck out 11 in his 7 2/3 innings with Chatham but had a 5.87 ERA.
Ashman dominated across his three collegiate seasons at Utah. The 6-foot-7 lefty pitched 88 1/3 innings primarily out of the bullpen to a 3.36 ERA and had 93 strikeouts. He was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference Team in 2023 and 2024. In his first Cape League season, Ashman had a 1.93 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings pitched.
Brewster Whitecaps
Ryan Ure is ranked No. 458 on Baseball America’s top 500 rankings — Brewster’s only 2024 player ranked.
Ure struggled as a freshman at Oklahoma State in 2022 across limited action before Tommy John surgery sidelined him in 2023. Returning to the mound in 2024, the 6-foot-7 lefty pitched just 3 2/3 innings in 2024 before returning to Brewster after pitching there in 2022. Across his 6 1/3 2024 Cape League innings, Ure has a 4.26 ERA and five strikeouts.
Harwich Mariners
Luke Heyman (No. 229) and Bryan Arendt (No. 405) are Harwich’s two players on Baseball America’s top 500 rankings.
Heyman, another draft-eligible sophomore, was one of the best D-I backstops as a freshman in 2023, earning 2023 All-SEC Freshman Team honors. But, in 2024, he saw his .314/.366/.555 (115 wRC+) slash line drop to .246/.342/.481 (97 wRC+). Following a solid 17-game stint with Falmouth in 2023, Heyman returned to the Cape to play for Harwich this year and has appeared in seven games.
Arendt, a fellow catcher, has spent three seasons at UNC Wilmington. Across 127 games, Arendt hit .236/.357/.409 (87 wRC+), but he is known more for his defense and arm behind the plate. After playing for Harwich in each of the previous two summers, Arendt returned to the Mariners in 2024, where he has appeared in five games.
Orleans Firebirds
Matt Ager (No. 104), Sean Matson (No. 290), Khadim Diaw (No. 338) and Jayden Voelker (No. 476) are Orleans’ four players on Baseball America’s top 500 rankings.
Across his three years at UC Santa Barbara, Ager split his time between starting and coming out of the bullpen. In 193 innings, the 6-foot-6 righty had a 3.50 ERA and 216 strikeouts. Ager made the All-Big West First Team in 2023 while he was a Second Team member in 2022 and 2024. Debuting on the Cape in 2024, Ager had an 8.59 ERA but struck out eight across 7 1/3 innings.
Matson, a right-handed reliever, emerged as a weapon out of Harvard’s bullpen in 2024. After struggling across his first two collegiate seasons, Matson had a 3.25 ERA and 77 strikeouts across 63 2/3 innings as a junior, which landed him Second Team All-Ivy honors. Matson carried that dominance to the Cape, where he didn’t give up a run and struck out seven in seven innings.
Diaw is looking to become the first player of Senegalese descent to ever be selected in the MLB Draft after spending three years at LMU. In his 80 games with the Lions, Diaw — who can catch and play the outfield — hit .348/.426/.559 (134 wRC+). Making his Cape League debut in 2024, Diaw has a .326/.407/.348 slash line across 13 games.
Hailing from Northern Essex Community College, Voelker is a rare D-III MLB Draft prospect. The 6-foot-5 rightly had a solid freshman season before missing all of 2023 due to injury. But in 2024, he was named the NJCAA D-III Pitcher of the Year after pitching 61 innings to a 1.48 ERA with 126 strikeouts. In his Cape League debut in 2024, Voelker had a 4.76 ERA with seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
Stats are as of games played through July 11
(Top photo of Griffin Herring taken by Kyndall Williams)
