CAPE COD BASEBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS: Who is No. 1 right now?
As we hit the month of July, the Cape Cod Baseball League season is reaching the midway point.
The All-Star game is scheduled for July 23 at Wareham. Currently, the Cotuit Kettleers are in first place in the West Division with a five-point lead over the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. The East Division is a closer race.
The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox are currently in first with 25 points, but the Brewster Whitecaps and Orleans Firebirds are within striking distance.
LAST WEEK'S RANKINGS: Cotuit leads the way, Yarmouth-Dennis not far behind
But those are standings, here's how I see the Cape League teams currently playing in my power rankings.
1. Cotuit Kettleers
The stats
14-4-3, 31 Points
The stars:
Tyler Johnson, Sr., Coastal Carolina: .389 Avg, league-leading 5 HR, 10 RBI
Brooks Baldwin, Sr., UNC Wilmington: .346 Avg, league-leading 28 Hits, 14 RBI
Kade Morris, Jr., University of Nevada: 1-0, 1.08 ERA, 2 ER in 16 1/3 IP
More: Good luck trying to slow down Cotuit's Chandler Simpson (and his MLB Draft stock)
The scoop:
The Kettleers continue to stand head and shoulders above the rest this season. They've scored the most (92) and allowed the fewest (54) runs of any team this season. Baldwin continues to set the table for Cotuit's potent offense, and Roberts gets the best out of his pitching staff.
2. Hyannis Harbor Hawks
The stats:
11-6-4, 26 Points
The stars:
Brody McCullough, Sr., Wingate University: Team-high 24 Ks, 1.68 ERA, 0.69 WHIP
Ty Langenberg, Soph., Iowa: 3 saves, .93 ERA, 19:1 (K:BB)
Tito Flores, Jr., Michigan: Leads teams in hits (19), HR (2), and RBI (7)
More: CAPE LEAGUE ROUNDUP: Hyannis Harbor Hawks stay hot with four consecutive wins
The scoop:
The Harbor Hawks are the hottest team and league and they've surged into the second spot in this week's rankings. Six wins and only one loss in their last 10 has come from strong pitching and timely offense. Their 26 points are second only to Cotuit this season.
3. Yarmouth Dennis Red Sox
The stats:
11-7-3, 25 Points
The stars:
Cole Carrigg, Sr., San Diego State University: Team-high 19 hits, .302 avg, team-high 11 SB
Jared Lyons, Jr., George Mason University: 1.96 ERA, 25 Ks in 18 1/3 IP
More: 540 and counting: Y-D manager Scott Pickler breaks Cape League all-time wins record
Hunter Haas, Soph., Arizona State University: .321 Avg, 18 hits, 8 Runs scored
The scoop: The Red Sox didn't play poorly enough to lose the No. 2 spot, rather Hyannis has played well enough to take it. The Red Sox continue to set the pace in the Cape League's East Division. The Red Sox still have the second-best run differential in the League (26)
4. Brewster Whitecaps
The stats
10-8-3, 23 Points
The stars:
Grayson Tatrow, Sr., Abilene Christian University: .283 Avg, team-high 12 RBI, 7 SB
Brian Fitzpatrick Sr., Rutgers University: 0.00 ERA in 3 starts (14 IP), .71 WHIP
Alex Freeland, Jr., University of Central Florida: League-leading 5 HR, 11 RBI, .290 Avg
More: CAPE LEAGUE ROUNDUP: Brewster Whitecaps pitching shuts down Chatham Anglers
The scoop: The Whitecaps have closed the gap on the East-leading Red Sox. The Whitecaps, on the back of a 5-3-2 record in their last 10, now sit three points behind YD. They've turned their run differential to the green, and have found been a more balanced offense in the last week.
5. Bourne Braves
The stats:
8-8-5, 21 Points
The stars:
Matt Shaw, Soph., University of Maryland: Team-high .340 avg, 9 SB, 9 Runs
Jack Duffy, Jr., University of Houston: .324/.395/.412, team-high 22 hits
Ty Cummings, Soph., Campbell University: 2 Saves, 0.77 ERA in 11 2/3 IP, 12:4 (K:BB
More: Remember Jarrod Saltalamacchia? The former Red Sox catcher is spending summer on Cape Cod
The scoop: The Braves enter this weeks' ranking, narrowly edging out the Orleans Firebirds for the final spot. Bourne is 2-0 against Orleans and has a more productive offense to date. The Braves have the most ties in the league so far this season, and will look to find some better pitching to turn those ties into wins over the second half of the season.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: CAPE COD BASEBALL LEAGUE RANKINGS: Season reaches midway point
