CHATHAM, Mass. — At the front of the Chatham Anglers' rotation, former Georgia Bulldogs teammates Nate Taylor and JT Quinn have dominated opposing Cape League hitters through the first quarter of the season. Taylor, now in the transfer portal, and Quinn, preparing for the MLB Draft, have combined for 39 strikeouts across 22 1/3 innings of work for the Anglers.

Taylor and Quinn took very different paths to Chatham — Taylor just wrapped up his freshman year at Georgia, while Quinn finished his junior year after transferring from Ole Miss. As valuable as the Cape League’s development opportunities are, the chance to share the diamond one more time was just as important.

“We spent a year together, and coming up here with someone you know is really nice,” Quinn said. “You meet everybody, but it’s different when you bring a friend.”

They’ve made the most of their time off the field, taking pregame trips to some of Chatham’s best local restaurants and coffee shops.

“It’s a lot of fun being up here,” Taylor added. “It’s cool to face the level of talent that’s here — getting reps, at-bats and throwing against different guys. It’s helped me a lot just seeing how my stuff plays against so many good hitters.”

Though they now share the same Chatham jersey, they didn’t get recruited to the Cape League as a package deal.

“We were on the bus late one night coming back from Alabama,” Taylor recalled. “One of our coaches came up to me and asked if I was cool with the Cape. I said yes, and he said, ‘Great, Chatham. They’ll be in touch.’”

Quinn didn’t know he was Cape-bound until after the college season ended. “I was just trying to find a place to play,” he said, emphasizing how important it was to keep his arm active in the weeks leading up to the MLB Draft. “It ended up working out perfectly.”

When Taylor learned Quinn would be joining him, he was pumped. “(JT) told me, ‘I’m coming to Chatham with you,’ and I said, ‘Sweet, let’s do it.’”

“You see everyone that’s come through here?” Quinn asked, referring to the Cape League’s long list of alumni. “Like (Nate) said, it’s great to play against this level of competition.”

The former Bulldogs aren’t just enjoying their time together off the field — they’ve been among the best arms in the league. Quinn’s 25 strikeouts are tied for the league lead, while Taylor’s 0.72 WHIP and .115 opponent batting average both rank third among all pitchers.

The Cape League “has given me a chance to work on new things and see where I’m at,” Taylor said. “I started throwing this weird new changeup. I’m learning what adjustments to make to get better.”

“A big thing for me is being up there and really thinking about what I’m going to throw,” Quinn explained. “I have a three-pitch mix, so if the catcher calls fastball, I’m deciding — do I want that or something else? It’s way different than just getting a call in your hat from a coach.”

Pitching for Chatham has “taught me a lot since I’m having to think about the hitter, the pitch I threw before, the pitch I’m going to throw next and how to attack,” Quinn added.

He described how his previous approach, from high school and college, focused on attacking hitters’ weaknesses. But in the Cape, he’s shifted to trusting his own strengths.

“I used to focus less on what makes me good and more on the hitter’s weakness. Here, it’s more like, ‘I’m going to trust my stuff and throw what I’m best at.’ That’s been a big change for me.”

The Anglers couldn’t have asked for more from Taylor and Quinn. They’ve anchored not just the pitching staff, but the entire team — giving Chatham a chance to win every time they take the mound. Quinn threw five innings, including four perfect frames, in a game that was eventually fogged out. He mentioned struggling to even see through the mist. Taylor, meanwhile, started the Cape League’s inaugural game at Citi Field against the MLB Draft League and tossed a clean first inning.

“Most of the guys up here can really hit,” Taylor said. “If you throw a cookie or miss your spot, they’ll make you pay.”

His point — there’s no margin for error in the Cape League. The best pitchers and hitters are all out to prove who’s the best of the best. Through it all, their friendship has grown, and both are putting up some of the league’s most impressive numbers.