HYANNIS – Thursday night will be a big night for the Cape Cod Baseball League, as a number of ballplayers familiar to local fans will be drafted by Major League clubs.
The 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft begins at 6 p.m., and Cape League officials are expecting well over 100 of their former players will selected.
Outfielder Kyle Lewis (Orleans Firebirds) is considered the best prospect with ties to Cape Cod, and could be the first overall selection in the draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. MLB.com ranked Lewis as the best college prospect in the country.
The Firebirds, who had one of the best seasons in team history in 2015, are expected to lead the league in most players drafted this year. Officials project 13 Firebirds will be taken by big league clubs during the 3-day draft.
Last year’s Cape League MVP, 3rd baseman Nick Senzel (Brewster Whitecaps) is also expected to go early in the draft. Senzel is the 6th best prospect in the draft, according to Baseball America. Senzel, who plays his college ball at the University of Tennessee, hit .364 with 4 home runs during his All-Star campaign on Cape Cod in 2015.
The Boston Red Sox have the 12th overall pick in the first round of the draft, and have looked to the Cape League in the past for their top selections. The Sox took Outfielder Andrew Benintendi (Falmouth Commodores) 7th overall last year, and have hit on several Cape League prospects in recent years, including Jackie Bradley Jr. (Hyannis Harbor Hawks), Travis Shaw (Bourne Braves), and Jacoby Ellsbury (Falmouth Commodores).
BY MATT McCARTHY, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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