10 Players Having Breakout 2021 Summers In The Cape Cod League

Eric Adler, RHP, Bourne (Wake Forest)

Adler this summer has been the league’s best reliever. In 12 appearances, he is 2-0, 0.73 with a league-leading six saves. He’s struck out 24 batters in 12.1 innings and held opponents to one run on five hits and four walks. Listed at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, Adler throws a mid-90s fastball and pairs it with a hard slider. He’s coming off a solid spring in the Wake Forest bullpen and projects to be one of the top relievers in the country in 2022.

Jace Bohrofen, OF, Falmouth (Arkansas)

Bohrofen was a highly ranked prospect coming out of high school in 2020 but never really got on track at Oklahoma. That hasn’t been a problem this summer at Falmouth, where he’s hitting .316/.417/.589 with five home runs and six stolen bases. The lefthanded hitter ranks second in the league in OPS 1.006 and 14 of his 30 hits have gone for extra bases. Bohrofen is transferring to Arkansas and will bring with him an exciting set of tools. He’ll make an immediate impact for the Razorbacks and could become a first-round pick in 2023.

Chase DeLauter, OF, Orleans (James Madison)

DeLauter has been perhaps the biggest breakout position player this summer on the Cape. His performance – he’s hitting .287/.352/.617 with a league-high eight home runs – is the biggest reason for his rise, but JMU’s abbreviated spring schedule – the Monarchs played just 28 games, less than all but four teams that played conference schedules – also meant there was less of a chance for him to make noise. DeLauter this summer has more than made up for lost time. The lefthanded hitter has an enticing combination of above-average power and speed and covers ground well in Orleans’ spacious center field. He also can pitch – he’s made seven appearances on the mound this year between JMU and Orleans – but his future is very much as a hitter. DeLauter’s all-around tools give him a chance to next year become the first first-round pick in program history.

Clark Elliott, OF, Hyannis (Michigan)

Hyannis has struggled this season, but Elliott has been a bright spot. In 16 games, the lefthanded hitter is batting .362/.493/.431 with seven stolen bases and has nearly as many walks (12) as strikeouts (14). Listed at 5-foot-11, 183 pounds, Elliott has shown good top-of-the-order skills. He doesn’t have a lot of power, but he does a good job of putting the bat on the ball and his combination of hittability and speed makes him an intriguing prospect.

Luke Gold, 3B, Cotuit (Boston College)

After this year producing three of the top-200 picks, Gold next year could give BC another player selected in that range. He’s hitting .262/.360/.488 with four doubles and five home runs this summer and he ranks sixth in the league in slugging. The righthanded hitter has a quick swing and produces good bat speed, helping him to produce a lot of hard contact.

Bryce Hubbart, LHP, Brewster (Florida State)

Following a strong season as Florida State’s No. 2 starter as a second-year freshman, Hubbart has carried that momentum into the summer with Brewster. In five starts with the Whitecaps, he’s 2-1, 1.08 with a league-leading 41 strikeouts in 25 innings. He’s held opponents four runs on 11 hits and seven walks, and hasn’t allowed an earned run since June 21, his first start on the Cape. His fastball sits in the low 90s and he’s locating it well this summer. He’s also added a slider to his arsenal and the early returns for the pitch have been promising.

Dominic Keegan, C/1B, Yarmouth-Dennis (Vanderbilt)

Keegan came to the Cape late, arriving following the draft when he was selected in the 19th round by the Yankees. He has said he is returning to school for a fourth year and is now spending the rest of the summer with Y-D. In his first eight games, he’s made a lot of noise, hitting .345/.387/.759 with four home runs in eight games. His fast start has served such notice to the league that he was intentionally walked Sunday. Keegan has mostly played first base for Y-D, but also has seen time at catcher and in left field. Increasing his positional versatility will be one of the keys for him to next year improve his draft standing.

Adam Mazur, RHP, Wareham (Iowa)

Mazur this summer has been one of the best starting pitchers on the Cape. In four starts, he’s 1-0, 0.48 in 18.2 innings. He’s truck out 23 batters and held opponents to 12 hits and three walks. His fastball sits in the low 90s and he pairs it with a good slider and can mix in a changeup as well. Listed at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, Mazur has a projectable look and could add more velocity in time. He is transferring from South Dakota State to Iowa.  

Erik Reyzelman, RHP, Harwich (Louisiana State)

Reyzelman made threw 35 innings this spring for San Francisco while working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Since then, he’s transferred to LSU for his third season of college baseball and taken a big step forward on the Cape, where he’s struck out 22 batters in 12.2 innings for Harwich. His fastball can get up to 96-97 mph and he throws it form a low slot, adding some deception. After what he’s done this summer, it’s reasonable to expect that Reyzelman will be able to jump into an important role next spring for the Tigers.

Tanner Witt, RHP, Chatham (Texas)

Witt this spring was one of Texas’ key relievers as a true freshman, going 5-0, 3.16 with 73 strikeouts and 25 walks in 57 innings. With All-American Ty Madden now in pro ball, Witt is the leading contender to move into the Longhorns rotation for 2022. He started that process on the Cape, pitching for Chatham (like Madden did two years ago). He’s made three starts, throwing four innings each time. He’s struck out 17 batters, walked five and held opponents to five runs (four earned) on 11 hits. His fastball is sitting in the low 90s and he’s working to add a cutter to go with his curveball and changeup.