Daily Notes: Top Performances of the Cape League So Far

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of the Daily Notes.

1. SCOUT Leaderboards for the Cape Cod League
2. Illustrative GIF: James Kaprielian of UCLA and Yarmouth-Dennis

SCOUT Leaderboards for the Cape Cod League
Introduction
The Cape Cod League is a collegiate wood-bat summer league that, against all odds, is located in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. Annually, it serves as home to many of the country’s top college prospects. By way of example: approximately one-third of all players taken in the first 10 rounds of the most recent draft were products of the Cape League. By way of another example: approximately 70% of the players who’ve been named MVP of the Cape League have recorded major-league service time of some type or another.

Below are the SCOUT leaderboards for the Cape’s top hitters and pitchers a little more than a month into this summer’s edition of the league. (All data courtesy Pointstreak.)

SCOUT Leaderboard: Cape League Hitters
Here’s the current SCOUT batting leaderboard for all Cape League hitters. SCOUT+ combines regressed home-run, walk, and strikeout rates in a FIP-like equation to produce a result not unlike wRC+, where 100 is league average and above 100 is above average. Note that xHR%, xBB%, and xK% stand for expected home run, walk, and strikeout rate, respectively.

SCOUT Leaderboard: Cape League Starters
Below is the current SCOUT pitching leaderboard for all Cape League pitchers who’ve made at least half their appearances as a starter. SCOUT- combines regressed strikeout and walk rates in a kwERA-like equation to produce a number not unlike ERA-, where 100 is league average and below 100 is better than average. Note that xK% and xBB% stand for expected strikeout and walk rate, respectively.

Notes
• Princeton junior Mike Ford, who received the distinction this season of earning both the Player and Pitcher of the Year awards for the Ivy League, actually appeared on last year’s end-of-season SCOUT hitting leaderboard, as well, having recorded two home runs and a 24:20 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 134 plate appearances*. A year later, Ford has preserved his control of the strike zone, but also appears to be hitting for more power. Ford has now homered in 4.9% of his plate appearances — roughly five times league average.

• Second baseman Logan Ratledge has produced the most impressive line thus far, it would appear, among players who are also capable of playing on the more demanding end of the defensive spectrum. After recording no home runs as a sophomore for NC State this year, he’s already hit two for Cotuit.

• UCLA right-hander James Kaprielian isn’t merely the Cape League’s top pitcher by the likely flawed methodology utilized here by the author, he’s also one of its youngest pitchers. Only 19, Kaprielian just finished his freshman season with the Bruins, recording a 53:24 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 40.2 innings — all of them in relief. According to one report, he was sitting at 92-94 mph with his fastball in June — albeit, in relief.

*As reader Joe notes below, Ford was actually signed on Tuesday (i.e. yesterday) to a minor-league contract by the Yankees.

Illustrative GIF: James Kaprielian of UCLA and Y-D
Here’s footage of UCLA and Yarmouth-Dennis right-hander James Kaprielian throwing a curveball both at 82 mph and also in slow-motion against UNC during the most recent College World Series: