Early Look: Chatham

Chatham Anglers
Manager: John Schiffner
2009 Record: 21-23

Last summer, the Chatham Anglers started as fast as any team in recent memory, winning eight of their first nine games. The rest of the summer, they won 13 of 35 games and finished below .500. When the season was done, the Anglers were eighth in team batting average and ninth in ERA.

The Anglers wouldn’t mind a repeat of the fast start this summer, and the team they’ll trot out has a lot of similarities to last year’s squad, namely the fact that the roster that shouldn’t be hit too hard by the College World Series or Team USA. That can always help pave the way for a fast start, and right now, the Anglers don’t have a single player with a Team USA invitation, nor are they relying on a large cast from a powerhouse program.

Obviously, though, the Chatham franchise would like to see more than just a fast start.

If there’s a difference this year, it’s the offense. Part-time catcher Mike Murray was the only player who hit over .300 for the Anglers last year. Based on college stats, I think this year’s team has a lot more potential. In Ricky Oropesa and Dan Paolini, the Anglers have two polished sophomore who are having outstanding springs. And the list goes on. Pretty much every position player on the Anglers roster is having a really good spring. If everyone makes it, there’s going to be some serious competition for playing time.

The question, as I see it, is the pitching staff. Logan Verrett is an ace in waiting and several other pitchers are having good springs. But I count seven who really aren’t having good springs. That’s a big chunk, and those guys will need to rebound if the Anglers are going to have success.

I always write the pitching bios first, so I’ll be honest: when I got to the end of that, I didn’t think Chatham was in line for a resurgence. But the offensive players changed my outlook. On paper, I think the Anglers are a little behind Orleans, but that’ll mean nothing in June.

The Anglers haven’t been major players in the league landscape since 2007, when they pushed Y-D pretty hard in the East. I think they could very well be players again in 2010.

Roster Rundown
Returning Players: 8
Juniors: 3
Sophomores: 21
Freshmen: 5

Notable

There are always players on my Cape League radar screen, guys I’ve followed or read about. Most of the top players are there, but Dan Paolini wasn’t. He’s at Siena and he played in the Great South League last summer, which isn’t a real well-established league. After writing about him today, I have him firmly on the radar. Paolini hit .430 with power as a freshman. This year, he’s at .369 with 22 home runs, a Siena record. He’s likely to be the college home run leader among 2010 Cape Leaguers. All this from a 6’0 second baseman. He’s clearly a breakout candidate.

USC’s Ricky Oropesa has been on the radar and he’s not staying right where he is. The Anglers didn’t get a full summer out of Oropesa last year and he struggled. But he’s doing big things this spring, and I like him as a candidate both for MVP and top prospect.

Logan Verrett is pretty clearly the best pitcher on the Anglers staff right now, both in terms of stats and reputation. He’s one of the best sophomore arms in the country and should be one of the best on the Cape.

Over the years, Chatham has been home to a lot of really good shortstops, going all the way back to Brian Roberts and Seth Davidson and up through Grant Green. This year, the Anglers have two who look capable of carrying the torch. UCLA’s Tyler Rahmatulla played with the Anglers last year and will come back off a really strong sophomore season. Miami freshman Stephen Perez is one of the top prospects in his class.

Speaking of footsteps, the Anglers always seem to have a pitcher or two from Maine. This year, it’s Jeff Gibbs and he could end up as one of the best Black Bears the Anglers have had. He’s having a great freshman campaign.

When the Anglers signed Dan Klein, I imagine they thought of him as veteran arm who would lend a lot of help to the bullpen. Now, Klein may never see Chatham. He’s become one of the best closers in the country and is a top 50 prospect for the draft.

I’ll be really curious to see how Chatham sorts out its infield. They have nine infielders on the roster, and eight of them are putting up good spring numbers.

I feel like I’ve been writing about Erik Goeddel for as long as I’ve been doing this blog. That’s a little bit of an exaggeration but not much of one. He was on Y-D’s roster back in 2008 and on Brewster’s roster in 2009. He has made one Cape League appearance. Injuries have taken a huge bite out of his college career, but he’s still the guy who was one of the top pitchers in his high school class. This spring, he’s healthy and pitching well for UCLA>

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Ricky Oropesa
2. Dan Paolini
3. Logan Verrett
4. Tyler Rahmatulla
5. Stephen Perez

Pitchers

Garrett Davis – RHP – 6’4 195 – North Carolina – RS Sophomore
*Mike Dennhardt – RHP – 6’1 205 – Boston College – Sophomore
Aaron Gates – LHP/IF – 6’1 178 – Pepperdine – Sophomore
Jeff Gibbs – RHP – 6’3 180 – Maine – Freshman
Erik Goeddel – RHP – 6’3 185 – UCLA – RS Sophomore
*Patrick Johnson – RHP – 5’10 170 – North Carolina – Junior
Dan Klein – RHP – 6’3 190 – UCLA – RS Sophomore
Greg Larson – RHP – 6’8 215 – Florida – Sophomore
Ken Monteith – RHP – 6’2 205 – Winthrop – Sophomore
Chris Munnelly – RHP – 6’2 170 – North Carolina – Freshman
Hudson Randall – RHP – 6’3 180 – Florida – Freshman
Phil Schreiber – RHP – 6’0 195 – Iowa – Sophomore
*Logan Verrett – RHP – 6’2 180 – Baylor – Sophomore
Joe Zimmerman – RHP – 6’1 205 – New Orleans – Sophomore

* – returning player
(Stats as of May 9)

Garrett Davis – RHP – 6’4 195
North Carolina
RS Sophomore

Davis’ North Carolina career finally got off the ground this season. In 2008, Davis had Tommy John surgery and redshirted. He was still recovering last year and made only nine appearances. Davis has made 14 appearances this season, including seven starts. He’s 3-3 with a 4.73 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 32.1 innings. Coming out of high school, Davis was one of the top prospects in North Carolina.

Mike Dennhardt – RHP – 6’1 205
Boston College
Sophomore

Dennhardt will be in his second summer with the Anglers, and he’ll be looking for a bit of a rebound. After starting eight games for Chatham and posting a 2.76 ERA, Dennhardt has struggled this spring. He’s 3-6 with a 6.39 ERA, and he’s surrendered 77 hits in 56.1 innings of work. He had a decent start last time out, allowing three runs in 5.1 innings. Two years ago, Dennhardt was a 17th-round pick out of high school.

Aaron Gates – LHP/IF – 6’1 178
Pepperdine
Sophomore

Gates is a two-way player for the Waves and he had success doing both last summer in the Northwoods League. This spring, he’s done a bit more pitching. In 15 appearances, he has a 5.74 ERA. At the plate, Gates is hitting .214. Out of high school, he was a 33rd-round pick.

Jeff Gibbs – RHP – 6’3 180
Maine
Freshman

Gibbs is a native of Canada and he got drafted by the Blue Jays in the 48th round of last June’s draft. But he opted to head south to Maine, and if his first season is any indication, he’ll be making a name for himself pretty soon. Gibbs vaulted immediately into Maine’s weekend rotation, and he’s been the team’s best pitcher. He’s 5-3 with a 3.84 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 63.1 innings.

Erik Goeddel – RHP – 6’3 185
UCLA
RS Sophomore

Injuries forced Goeddel to redshirt in 2008 and he saw only limited action last season. This year, the former top-100 prospect seems to have found his niche in the Bruin bullpen. He’s made 23 appearances and he’s sporting a 3.09 ERA. In 32 innings, he has struck out 37 and walked only 16.

Patrick Johnson – RHP – 5’10 170
North Carolina
Junior

From his role as a mid-week starter with the Tar Heels, Johnson emerged as a valuable member of Chatham’s rotation last summer. He ended up with a 2-1 record and 2.76 ERA. Opportunities have continued to expand this spring for Johnson, who’s pitching in the weekend rotation. He’s currently 4-3 with a 3.76 ERA.

Dan Klein – RHP – 6’3 190
UCLA
RS Sophomore

Before this year, Klein’s career at UCLA had been pretty non-descript. He made seven appearances in 2008 and redshirted in 2009. This season, Klein has been anything but ordinary. In a year that has made him into one of the best closers in the nation, Klein has a 1.11 ERA and eight saves. In 32.1 innings, he has struck out 41 and walked only seven. He hasn’t allowed a home run all season, and opponents are hitting .188 against him.

Greg Larson – RHP – 6’8 215
Florida
Sophomore

Larson might end up being the tallest player on the Cape this summer, and I imagine he’ll draw some attention from scouts. Larson had a 3.45 ERA out of the bullpen for the Gators last year. This season, his strikeout numbers are up and his walks are down but he’s gotten hit a lot harder. Despite 19 strikeouts and three walks, he has an 8.34 ERA.

Ken Monteith – RHP – 6’2 205
Winthrop
Sophomore

A native of New Jersey, Monteith headed south to play for the Eagles. He had a successful freshman campaign while pitching out of the bullpen but he has run into some trouble this year. He’s 0-2 right now with a 12.83 ERA.

Chris Munnelly – RHP – 6’2 170
North Carolina
Freshman

Munnelly has some typical true freshman numbers, with an ERA that’s a little high and a few more hits than you’d like to see. The unusual thing is that Munnelly has gotten a lot of opportunities. He’s made 19 appearances — 15 out of the bullpen — and he’s fourth on the team in innings pitched. While his ERA sits at 5.28, he has struck out 45 in 46 innings.

Hudson Randall – RHP – 6’3 180
Florida
Freshman

Randall is one of two freshmen who have worked their way into the Gators’ weekend rotation. Brian Johnson (Falmouth) has been good and so has Randall. He’s currently 6-2 with a 2.94 ERA. In 64.1 innings, he has 44 strikeouts and 15 walks. Randall was a 46th-round pick last year.

Phil Schreiber – RHP – 6’0 195
Iowa
Sophomore

After pitching in the rotation and out of the bullpen last year, Schreiber has moved into the weekend rotation for Iowa this year with mixed results. In 11 starts, he’s 3-5 with a 5.37 ERA. He has struck out 29 and walked 23. In the Prospect League last summer, Schreiber was very good. He went 6-0 with a 1.30 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 48.1 innings.

Logan Verrett – RHP – 6’2 180
Baylor
Sophomore

Verrett came into Baylor with some strong credentials. Not everything matched up perfectly in his freshman year, though: he struck out more than a batter an inning but had an ERA over five. Still, he showed enough to get an invite to Team USA. He didn’t make the final cut but came to Chatham and had a nice summer. This year, he has taken the steps forward you might expect. He’s 4-3 with a 3.06 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 67.2 innings.

Joe Zimmerman – RHP – 6’1 205
New Orleans
Sophomore

Zimmerman averaged almost a strikeout per inning for the Privateers as a freshmen and he led the team in Ks. Things have not gone as well this season. Zimmerman is 0-6 with a 7.79 ERA. In 49.2 innings, he has struck out 19 and walked 16.

Position Players

*Phillip Pohl – C – 6’0 195 – Clemson – Sophomore
*Jacob Stallings – C – 6’4 180 – North Carolina – Sophomore
*Tom Belza – IF/OF – 6’1 185 – Oklahoma State – Junior
Mark Ginther – IF – 6’3 198 – Oklahoma State – Sophomore
*Ricky Oropesa – IF/P – 6’3 225 – USC – Sophomore
Dan Paolini – IF/OF – 6′ 0 195 – Siena – Sophomore
Stephen Perez – IF – 5’11 175 – Miami – Freshman
*Tyler Rahmatulla – IF – 5’10 180 – UCLA – Sophomore
Riley Reynolds – IF – 6’1 200 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
Kevin Vance – IF/P – 6’0 205 – Connecticut – Sophomore
Aaron Westlake – 1B – 6′ 3 235 – Vanderbilt – RS Sophomore
Beau Amaral – OF – 5’11 175 – UCLA – Freshman
Brian Humphries – OF – 6’2 195 – Pepperdine – Sophomore
Jason Martin – OF – 5’8 165 – San Jose State – Junior
Peter Verdin – OF – 6’0 198 – Georgia – Sophomore

* – returning player

Phillip Pohl – C – 6’0 195
Clemson
Sophomore

Pohl was a 44th-round pick out of high school. He struggled with the bat in his first year at Clemson, then hit .179 in limited duty for Chatham last summer. This year, Pohl is hitting .241 with 17 RBI.

Jacob Stallings – C – 6’4 180
North Carolina
Sophomore

North Carolina has sent quite a few talented catchers to the Cape over the years, and Stallings will try to fit that the mold. He didn’t see a ton of action as a freshmen and didn’t hit that well. He’s had a few more chances this season and he’s hitting .253 with 10 extra-base hits. Stallings played in 13 games for Chatham last summer.

Tom Belza – IF/OF – 6’1 185
Oklahoma State
Junior

Belza is a bona fide Cape League veteran at this point. He played for Y-D in the summer of 2008 and Chatham last year. Along the way, he’s been a steady force and one of the best hitters in the Oklahoma State lineup. After hitting .183 for the Anglers last summer, Belza is batting .289 this spring.

Mark Ginther – IF – 6’3 198
Oklahoma State
Sophomore

Ginther will join Belza, and if he keeps it up, he’ll be coming in off a really good season. He’s hitting at a .324 clip so far, and he leads the Cowboys with nine home runs. He’s also got 15 doubles and 47 RBI. Ginther was a 48th-round pick out of high school.

Ricky Oropesa – IF/P – 6’3 225
USC
Sophomore

Oropesa lived up to the hype as a freshman with the Trojans but he had his struggles on the Cape. If this spring is any indication, that won’t happen again. Oropesa is hitting .354 with 12 home runs, 18 doubles and 47 RBI. He leads the Trojans in just about every offensive category.

Dan Paolini – IF/OF – 6′ 0 195
Siena
Sophomore

Paolini has done nothing but hit at a really high level since arriving at Siena. On his way to MAAC Rookie of the Year honors last season, Paolini hit .430 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI. He hasn’t really dropped off this season. He’s currently batting .369 with 22 home runs and 53 RBI. He has already broken the Siena single-season home run record.

Stephen Perez – IF – 5’11 175
Miami
Freshman

Perez was an 18th-round pick out of high school last year, and he’s been on every list I’ve seen of the best freshman prospects in the nation. He hasn’t had an eye-popping first season, but he is starting every game at shortstop for Miami, so that’s saying something. He’s hitting .275 with five homers, 12 doubles and 28 RBI. He has also stolen 19 bases.

Tyler Rahmatulla – IF – 5’10 180
UCLA
Sophomore

Rahmatulla came to Chatham last summer with some hype but he hit just .101 in 27 games. This year, he’ll bring with him more than hype — he’ll also carry an outstanding spring to build on. Rahmatulla is hitting .354 for the Bruins with five home runs, 14 doubles and 31 RBI.

Riley Reynolds – IF – 6’1 200
Vanderbilt
Sophomore

Reynolds hit .332 with 16 doubles for the Commodores last year and his performance earned him an SEC All-Freshman nod. His second season in Nashville hasn’t been as good. Reynolds is hitting .209 this spring.

Kevin Vance – IF/P – 6’0 205
Connecticut
Sophomore

Vance came to Storrs all the way from Solana Beach, Calif. His first season on the East coast was pretty uneventful — he got 39 at-bats for the Huskies and had eight hits. This season, Vance is having a much better time. He’s hitting .355 with six homers, 10 doubles and 31 RBI.

Aaron Westlake – 1B – 6′ 3 235
Vanderbilt
RS Sophomore

Westlake saw some action for Vandy back in 2008, but an injury cost him most of the season and he earned a medical redshirt. In 2009, he made a comeback in a big way, winning the SEC batting title with a .377 average. He then hit .313 with Newport of the NECBL. This year, Westlake is having a solid campaign. He’s hitting .315 with seven homers, 13 doubles and 41 RBI.

Beau Amaral – OF – 5’11 175
UCLA
Freshman

A 45th-round pick out of high school, Amaral has made a big impact in his first season at UCLA. He currently leads the team in hitting with a .356 average. He’s also got two homers and 14 RBI.

Brian Humphries – OF – 6’2 195
Pepperdine
Sophomore

I read a lot of good things about Humphries heading into his freshman season, but he hasn’t quite turned into a star yet. He hit .305 for the Waves last year and started every game in center field. After hitting .264 in the Northwoods League, Humphries has hit .252 this spring, with two homers and 14 RBI.

Jason Martin – OF – 5’8 165
San Jose State
Junior

Martin was a recruited walk-on at San Jose State and he’s undersized. But in three years with the Spartans, he has become one of the team’s best players. This season, he’s hitting .387 with a .442 on-base percentage. San Jose is listed as Martin’s hometown, but his bio also notes that he was born in Worcester, Mass.

Peter Verdin – OF – 6’0 198
Georgia
Sophomore

Verdin saw part-time duty for the Bulldogs last year. This season, he’s been a regular and he’s had a solid year. He’s currently hitting .289 with seven homers, 14 doubles and 26 RBI. He also has 12 steals.