Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox 2022 Cape Cod League Preview

The Y-D positional group is led by a strong contingent of good contact hitters, as players like Cole Carrigg of San Diego State, Fernando Gonzalez of Georgia and Caden Connor of Cal State-Fullerton are all known for their above-average or better bat-to-ball skills. 

The two standout names currently on Y-D’s roster are Stanford star underclassman Braden Montgomery and LSU first baseman Tre’ Morgan. Whether either sees much time on the Cape this summer remains to be seen as they’re both potential Team USA members. If they do, however, find their way to Yarmouth-Dennis, they could both be standouts. 

The rest of the offense is led by a pair of small school standouts in returning player Pascanel Ferreras of Western Carolina and Mike Boeve of Nebraska-Omaha. Both had very productive years at the plate and can provide positional versatility, an important component of successful CCBL rosters. 

On the pitching side the staff is highlighted by a strong contingent of strike throwers. Pitchers like UCLA’s Alonzo Tredwell, Grand Canyon’s Connor Markl, Ivran Romero of San Diego, and Owen Hackman of Loyola-Marymount give them a core of underclassman with established resumes as strike throwers. There’s still plenty of firepower on the Red Sox staff with pitchers Cade Horton of Oklahoma  heading a group of flame-throwing righthanders among the Y-D corps.

Field Manager: Scott Pickler 

Home Park: Merrill “Red” Wilson Field (1957): Tucked behind Dennis-Yarmouth High School, Red Wilson is a charming bandbox know for lots of home runs, big crowds and a fun game time atmosphere. Its concessions are rivaled only by Harwich and there’s plenty of seating all around the park. There’s more of a carnival-like atmosphere than other parks, making it a great place to enjoy a game with your family. For scouting purposes there’s more seating behind home plate than other parks, but the section is set back about 15 feet from the backstop and it’s common for there to be heavy foot traffic during games. Like Cotuit and Brewster there are no lights at Red Wilson, leading to earlier game times. Few parks offer a quintessential Cape League experience quite like Red Wilson. 

Last Cape Cod League Championship: 2016 

Hitters To Know

Pascanel Ferreras, SS Western Carolina (2023 Eligible): Sometimes a player gets his feet wet in the Cape League one summer only to return the following year for a breakout. Ferreras is one such player as he returns to Red Wilson coming off a sensational sophomore campaign. The infielder hit .362/.443/.672 for the Catamounts this spring and brings versatility to the Red Sox lineup. Last summer Ferreras started at five different positions for the Red Sox and could easily cover the shallow center field of Red Wilson if tasked. Ferreras is a returning player poised for a big summer with the Red Sox. 

Cole Carrigg, UTIL San Diego State (2023 Eligible): Another Swiss-Army knife type player, Carrigg not only caught for the Aztecs in 2022, he started 25 games at shortstop, 17 at second base and 11 in center field. He also threw an inning this spring and could realistically play all nine positions in a single game. Beyond his defensive versatility Carrigg hit .388/.426/.509 over 54 games. He doesn’t pack much punch in the bat but he has a high level of bat-to-ball skills and puts pressure on the defense when balls are in play.

Jonathon Long, 1B/3B Long Beach State (2023 Eligible): A corner infielder that can hit, Long is a .321 career hitter with the Dirtdogs who saw his strikeouts rise a little in 2022. He’s hit over power but has both projectable power and on-base skills. It’s just a matter of him honing his swing decisions and finding the right pitches to drive. If Long takes steps forward in this regard he could be a breakout this summer. 

Pitchers To Know

Cade Horton, RHP Oklahoma (2022 Eligible): Once a highly touted two-sport athlete and two-way baseball recruit, Horton gave up football, underwent and rehabbed from Tommy John surgery and made his collegiate debut with the Sooners over a wildly up and down two years. He played both ways for Oklahoma this year but projects best as a pitcher. His fastball sits 93-95 mph with ride and late life and his sweepy slider grades out as an above-average pitch. Still looking to find the feel for his arsenal, if Horton goes unsigned a summer on the Cape could help usher in a return to prospect status for the talented pitcher. 

Dylan Ray, RHP Alabama (2022 Eligible): The Crimson Tide closer this spring, Ray is a draft-eligible redshirt freshman who could see his stock rise this summer. He was named a freshman all-SEC team member and punched out 14.1 batters per nine this spring. Whether or not he hears his name called this July could dictate just how many innings Ray sees for Y-D this summer. When he does pitch Ray is sure to light up radar guns with his loud stuff. 

Sleeper: Eric Yost, RHP Northeastern (2023 Eligible): A returning Red Sox team member Yost is an underrated arm on a talented Northeastern squad. He sits 90-93 mph on his fastball, but it’s his sweepy low-80s slider with nearly a foot of break and nearly no vertical drop and a two-plane curveball that make Yost a name to follow. He performed extremely well in 2022, as Yost posted a 2.48 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 58 strikeouts to 17 walks over 61.2 innings for the Huskies. Another boost to Yost’s profile is he’ll be draft-eligible at 20 years old in 2023.