Scouts came together at the home of the Wareham Gateman, Spillane Field, this past Saturday, for the 2017 Cape Cod League All-Star game. The team from the East triumphed over the Western one with a 5 – 3 win, and Jimmy Herron and Griffin Conine were named MVPs for each team respectively.
This article breaks down the 5 standouts from the game.
Ryan Rolison Raked the Ball
In his one and only inning during Saturday’s game, southpaw Ryan Rolison showed superior short-arm action, pounding his fastball into the strike zone at between 89 and 93 miles per hour. Rolison faced John Toppa in order to lead off the inning, and worked the corners for the zone as Toppa fouled off numerous pitches. Rolison got Toppa to line out with a fastball going at 93 mph at the outer half, and then a ground ball from Zac Susi with a sharp ¾ breaking ball was thrown at him as well, running away from Susi, a left-handed hitter. Rolison finished out the inning by striking out left-handed Kyle Kasser, thanks to his fastball being located above Kasser’s hands for a chase swing and miss.
Alec Bohm Certainly Puts the Ball in Play
Bohm’s impressive physicality, with 6’5” and 225 pounds to recommend him, showed effortless raw power in batting practice, along with a very good bat speed and a swing that will certainly allow him to hit with ample contact at the pro level. Thanks to his negligible moving parts and barrel driving all through the zone for extended periods of time, any online sports betting guide worth its salt will be mentioning this player by name soon. During the game on Saturday, Bohm went 1 for 4, driving a fastball of 93 miles per hour from North Carolina’s Tyler Baum deep into the centre filed for a double during the second inning.
Griffin Conine Looks Set to be a Great Gamer
Famed big leaguer Jeff Conine’s son, Griffin, looks likely to continue in his father’s footsteps. He is a forceful hitter unafraid to swing and miss, and has game power from the plate’s left-hand side.
Conine exploded onto the scene last summer in the Northwoods League, hitting 16 home runs. This summer he will be leading the Cape League, with 8 home runs under his belt so far, and one from Saturday too.
Logan Gilbert Laced the Ball on Saturday
Gilbert, a right-hand player, showed off incredible arm speed on Saturday: his fastball worked out at between 92 and 94 mph, and one even touched 96! He also threw a number of curveballs, with these sometimes showing breaks of 12 – 6, and other times going on to hang the pitch up with a minimal break in the strike zone.
Nico Hoerner a Natural with the Hardball
Hoerner led off the game with a hard line-out to left centre-field, and then hit a slow ground ball along the infield right for a single in the third. Even though he struck out in the fifth, this player has the batting speed and raw power that will make him one of 2018’s early draft picks.
