Cape Cod League: Top Hitters Through Week Two

Now that we are two weeks into the Cape Cod League schedule, let's take a look at how players are performing so far. You can look at the table below - which is sortable, and includes OPS+ (based on league average, with no park adjustments)! You can click on a player's name to reach their Cape Cod page. I limited the list to players with at least 30 PA and a 100 OPS+ or higher.

Before we get to the stats, I wanted to highlight two players of interest.

The first is arguably the biggest power bat in terms of production so far in this year's Cape: the Brewster Whitecaps very own Matt Davis, a SS/3B from VCU. He was eligible for the draft this year, but was not taken. That was likely due to a weak junior season that saw him slip across the board from his sophomore performance. He hit .312/.404/.457 with seven home runs as a sophomore, but only .274/.333/.427 as a junior. (*EDIT* Baseball Cube failed me - he actually hit .321/.385/.443 as a junior. Not sure why he wasn't picked, to be honest.) If he keeps up his performance in the Cape, I wouldn't be surprised if someone with some bonus pool left over tried to sign him as an undrafted free agent. Worst case, he will shoot up boards as a cheaper senior sign targeted in the top ten rounds. So far in the Cape, he's hit .316/.400/.684 with a 164 OPS+ and 14.9 RC. Combine his bat with what has been described as an above-average glove, and he is someone to keep an eye on.

The second player is Chatham Anglers infielder Jake Palomaki, a second baseman going into his junior year at Boston College. He stood out in a deeper statistical analysis as the best offensive performer in the Cape so far this summer. Palomaki has not shown much power in his first two years of college, batting a combined .272/.421/.332 but with an amazing 88 walks to 60 strikeouts and 34 stolen bases in 42 attempts. He profiles as a speedy on-base threat. If the power doesn't develop, he won't likely be more than a utility guy at best. But he's showing some power development this summer in the Cape, hitting .333/.478/.472 with a 144 OPS+ and 7.7 RC. While a .139 ISO isn't great, it is more than double his college career ISO. If he can continue to develop his power to the .150 ISO range, he will be a very attractive player in the 2017 draft.

Without further ado, here are your Cape Cod batting leaders (thanks to Cape Cod League data provided by pointstreak.com):