Taking a trip down memory lane, if you look at this list of last years Cape Cod League top performers, the Giants 2015 draft could provide a significant haul. Four of the top 30 listed drafted and signed, plus one of the top HS shortstops in Jamel Miller. Some observers feel that the Giants scouting and developmental staff places more stock in CCL performance than the performances put up in a players collegiate season and this makes sense since the CCL is a wood bat league that pits the best against the best. You don't always get that in the regular collegiate season until the conference tournaments and the Road to Omaha. You get an early gauge in the CCL on how both hitters and pitchers will make the significant adjustments to the wood bat and the higher level of competition.
A lot of these guys were in my initial top 20 collegians to watch for 2015 so it may also be a case of great minds thinking alike. :)
from Baseball America:
Cape Cod League Top 30 Prospects
August 28, 2014 by Aaron Fitt
6. Phil Bickford, rhp, Yarmouth-Dennis (So., TBD)
The unsigned No. 10 overall pick by the Blue Jays in 2013, Bickford showed less explosive stuff during his freshman year for the Titans than he had as a high school senior, often pitching with an average fastball. He still went 6-3, 2.13 in 76 innings in the spring, then moved into a relief role this summer, causing his velocity to spike. He worked comfortably in the 93-96 range with late life, and he pounded the strike zone relentlessly with his fastball, though sometimes he tends to leave it up in the zone. Loose and athletic, he repeats his delivery but still needs to improve his secondary stuff. Working out of the bullpen, he mostly used his fastball and power curveball at 79-81 mph, which showed signs of becoming a plus pitch. He gets around the pitch at times, however, and needs to tighten it. Bickford decided not to return to Cal State Fullerton for his sophomore year so that he could enter the 2015 draft, either at a junior college or out of independent ball. If he can maintain his premium fastball in a starting role, he could be drafted in the top 10 picks again in 2015.
10. C.J Hinojosa, ss, Harwich (Jr., Texas)
Hinojosa stood out for his sterling play at the College World Series and continued to impress scouts in the Cape. His best assets are his savvy and confidence, which make his tools play up. He has a mature frame and slightly below-average speed, but his instincts give him adequate range at short, where his arm is above-average. He reads pitchers well and is a heady baserunner. Hinojosa has some lift in his swing and offers fringy power to the pull side.
12. Steven Duggar, of, Falmouth (Jr., Clemson)
Scouts are a bit skeptical of the official 60-yard dash times recorded at the Cape League's workout day at Fenway Park, but Duggar ran the fastest time of the day: a blistering 6.26 seconds. His speed doesn't play as well in game action, as he needs to improve his jumps and routes in center field, but he stole 40 bases in 48 tries this year between the spring and summer. If Duggar can grow into his wiry 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame, he has a chance to become a legitimate five-tool prospect. He has some whip in his lefthanded swing and generates enough bat speed to hint at some power potential, but he seldom drives the ball with authority at this stage, instead spraying mostly singles to the middle of the field. He has a pronounced leg kick in his swing, which can negatively affect his timing. Still, Duggar hit .329 this summer and is a .297 career hitter at Clemson, so he has some feel for his barrel. He also offers a plus outfield arm that plays in center field or right.
"He's still not in as much control as I'd like to see, but the tools are there, and the body," a National League crosschecker said. "If he puts it together—which he might be, because he looked pretty good this summer—he could be a real speed/power combo."
13. Chris Shaw, of/1b, Chatham (Jr., Boston College)
After swatting six homers and slugging .502 in a strong spring, the lefthanded-hitting Shaw led the Cape League with eight home runs and ranked second with 34 RBIs. As the centerpiece of a Chatham lineup loaded with lefthanded hitters, Shaw faced an endless parade of southpaws, and he gradually improved against them as the summer progressed, doing a better job staying closed and going the other way more often. He still has work to do with his approach, and some scouts aren't convinced he can handle premium velocity, but he punishes mistakes and average fastballs. With a chiseled 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame, Shaw has plus or better power, and he will go as far as that tool carries him. He played first base as a freshman and right field this spring and summer, but he's a poor runner and profiles best at first, though he has a solid arm.
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