The Cape Cod Baseball League is known for producing the stars of tomorrow, but the professional path to stardom typically begins long before players make it to the Majors. Many of the Cape League’s best begin their professional careers in Single-A and High-A, where some of them become baseball’s top prospects. Whether it’s a hot start at the plate or finding a groove on the mound, these Cape League alumni have stood out during the first month of lower Minor League (MiLB) action.
Statistics as of May 4
Matt Wilkinson, LHP, Chatham ‘23
Cleveland Guardians (A)
Perhaps no pitcher across Minor League Baseball has had as impressive a start as “Tugboat” Matt Wilkinson of the Lynchburg Hillcats. Drafted in the 10th round of 2023 out of Central Arizona College, he’s virtually pitching his first professional innings after a singular appearance last year. Over his first five starts, he has accumulated 46 strikeouts, the most in MiLB. He’s also allowed just a single run, leaving him with a 0.35 ERA. He’s been absolutely dominant and has burst onto the pitching scene seemingly out of nowhere.
Braylen Wimmer, SS/3B, Bourne ‘21
Colorado Rockies (A)
The University of South Carolina product has put together a strong start at the plate for the Fresno Grizzlies. This season, he has matched his total number of games played in 2023 after being drafted in the eighth round last June. He has already blasted four home runs and currently owns a .877 OPS and a 135 wRC+. Wimmer seems to be growing more confident at the plate, evidenced by his reduced strikeout rate, which has dropped by seven percent.
Jake Gelof, 3B, Harwich ‘22
Los Angeles Dodgers (A)
Gelof was a highly touted third baseman when he became draft eligible out of the University of Virginia and was selected in the second round of the 2023 draft. Now playing for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, Gelof is showing the same power in his bat that was present throughout college. For someone who gets on base as frequently as he does, it’s encouraging to see that his power still shines in professional baseball. He has already tallied six multi-hit games, while establishing himself as the Dodgers' top third base prospect.
Quinn Mathews, LHP, Cotuit ‘21
St. Louis Cardinals (A)
Like Wilkinson, Mathews has been absolutely brilliant in his introduction to pitching against professional hitters. The Stanford alum was selected by the Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. In five starts with the Palm Beach Cardinals, he has struck out 47 percent of the batters he’s faced. Mathews has looked reminiscent of his time in Cotuit, but now pitching on another level; he has posted a 16.3 K/9 to start the year. Time will tell how long he sustains this dominance, but the Cardinals have to be impressed with what they're seeing.
Lucas Gordon, LHP, Falmouth ‘21
Chicago White Sox (A)
Another Cape League lefty making waves to begin 2024 is Lucas Gordon of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. The 6th round pick last year from the University of Texas has quietly emerged as one of the White Sox's better pitching prospects. He settled in after two shaky starts in Kannapolis last season, focusing on limiting hard contact. Gordon has started his games strongly, although he has had some trouble working through lineups after the first time through. Regardless, he finds himself with a 2.84 ERA (2.87 FIP) and will have the opportunity to establish himself as one of the White Sox organization’s top young arms.
Drew Compton, 1B, Y-D/Cotuit ‘21
Atlanta Braves (A)
Compton is surprisingly the only player on this list who was not drafted. After a stellar 2021 season at Georgia Tech, he played for both Y-D and Cotuit on the Cape but didn’t find the same success in 2022 or 2023. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Braves and hasn’t looked back since. Playing for the Augusta Greenjackets, Compton just ended a 16-game hitting streak, slashing .471/.565/.868 during it, and posting an insane 200 wRC+, which ranks third among qualified Single-A hitters. He was just named Carolina League Player of the Week and is looking to carry those numbers into the first full series in May and beyond.
Will Simpson, 1B, Brewster ‘21
Oakland Athletics (A+)
Moving up to High-A, Simpson is near the top of virtually every hitting category. Drafted in the 15th round in 2023 from the University of Washington, the Athletics chose to promote him to High-A after just 29 games in Single-A. It seems that decision was the right one, as he’s crushing the ball for the Lansing Lugnuts, hitting .351 with a 1.049 OPS. As one would hope, Simpson’s approach has greatly improved since his time in the Cape League, and he is utilizing all areas of the field when at the plate.
Braiden Ward, 2B, Wareham ‘19
Colorado Rockies (A+)
The Rockies have another University of Washington draftee in Braiden Ward. After a stretch from 2019-21 where he played well for the Huskies and Wareham in the summer, he missed out on the shortened 2020 draft but was picked in the 16th round in 2021. He has spent a few seasons with the Spokane Indians but looks to be coming into his own. The 25-year-old just won Northwest League Player of the Week after a stretch where he hit .388 for 13 total bases. On May 3, Ward accomplished something that hasn’t been done in the major leagues since 1901; he stole six bases including home, all in one game. If he continues to produce like this, he could find himself moving up to Double-A soon.
Chandler Simpson, OF, Cotuit ‘22
Tampa Bay Rays (A+)
Speed kills, and in Simpson’s case (no relation to Will), it’s been a game-changer on the base paths. The Georgia Tech product was selected by the Rays in the second round of the 2022 draft, and ever since, it feels like he’s been on a mission to steal as many bases as possible. Simpson has swiped 21 bags so far, the most in MiLB, and six more than the next closest in High-A. Also, despite not being a power hitter, he’s been swinging the bat well for the Bowling Green Hot Rods, with a .364 average to open the season. He walks more than he strikes out too, which helps him to steal as many bases as he does.
Trenton Denholm, RHP, Y-D ‘18-’19
Cleveland Guardians (A+)
The Guardians have hit on a few college arms in the draft the last few years. Denholm is a part of that group, and he’s opened 2024 looking sharp with a 3.20 ERA over his first five games. Selected by the Guardians in the 14th round of the 2021 draft, he was one of two UC Irvine pitchers chosen that year. While he performed well for the Lake County Captains last year, he struggled somewhat with limiting traffic and walks. His WHIP last season was over 1.14, but this year he has brought it down to 0.94, largely due to the fact that Denholm has only walked two batters. Additionally, he has transitioned into a starting role, so it's worth keeping an eye on his pitching development.
Patrick Reilly, RHP Orleans ‘21-’22/Bourne ‘23
Pittsburgh Pirates (A+)
The last decade has seen an increasing number of SEC pitchers succeed in professional ball after pitching on the Cape, and Patrick Reilly of Vanderbilt is no exception. Last year, the Pirates selected Reilly in the fifth round, and he quickly found himself on their inaugural Spring Breakout roster. Now five starts into the season with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, he’s averaging 14.4 strikeouts per nine innings. While his ERA is 4.35, his FIP is almost a whole run lower at 3.38. Additionally, his fastball has seen an uptick, now topping out at 95 mph. Reilly has generated exactly 13 whiffs in all five starts, contributing to his high strikeout rate; he’s on pace to record more strikeouts than ever before.
Ben Williamson, 3B, Hyannis ‘23
Seattle Mariners (A+)
When Williamson was drafted in the second round in 2023, he became the first position player selected out of the College of William & Mary since 2017. After a brief stint in Single-A last season, Seattle assigned Williamson to the Everett AquaSox, where his bat has performed well during the first month of games. He’s driving in runs (18) and getting on base (.409). This is precisely what you'd hope for from a college bat, and he looks even better when his strikeout rate is down and his walk rate is up. Defensively, Williamson is one of the best at third base as well. He offers a plus glove and has already made some highlight plays in the young season.
Nolan McLean, RHP/DH, Chatham ‘21
New York Mets (A+)
McLean has actually been drafted in the third round in each of the last two drafts but ended up signing with the Mets after not reaching an agreement with the Orioles. At Oklahoma State, he emerged as a true two-way player and is being utilized as one with the Brooklyn Cyclones. He’s been solid at the plate with a .834 OPS, but what's particularly impressive is his .341 isolated power, indicating how frequently he's recording extra-base hits. On the mound, McLean has also looked good. He’s limiting hard contact and walks, effectively preventing runs. He excels at keeping the ball in the park, having not allowed a home run since his days at Oklahoma State.
To learn more about Cape Cod Baseball League alumni, follow this link to view player stats, historical standings, manager records and more: https://cdthoms.shinyapps.io/CCBL/
