Cape Cod Commodores: The Cape Cod Baseball League's Special Place in the VandyBoys Program and 2024 CCBL Recap

The Atlantic Ocean. Buzzards Bay. Nantucket Sound. Surfing. Fishing. Seafood. New England in the full swing of summer from mid-June to mid-August. 10 Teams. High school fields. High school umpires. Beach chairs near the outfield. 1,142.5 miles away from Nashville, TN.

The Cape Cod Baseball League couldn’t be farther removed from West End, yet it remains one of the most important aspects of the VandyBoys program. Vanderbilt baseball has loved the Cape League so much that it has started releasing a docuseries after every summer.

There are lots of summer leagues out there. What makes the Cape Cod Baseball League so special? History, tradition, and a depth of stars places the CCBL above other leagues. The CCBL is over 100 years old. Aside from a spot on Team USA, an invite to the CCBL is the most prestigious invite a college player can get. Since 1923, America’s top collegiate baseball players have spent their summers on Cape Cod. Roughly one out of six active players in the MLB has played in the CCBL. There are over 370 active CCBL alumni in the MLB and over 1,600 alumni all-time. MLB Hall of Famers such as Carlton Fisk, Frank Thomas, Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Todd Helton, and Billy Wagner all spent time in the CCBL. Notable current CCBL alumni in the MLB are stars Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, Paul Skenes, Chris Sale, Aaron Nola, Pete Alonso, Shane Beiber, Adley Rutschman, and Corbin Burnes.

Picture a semester abroad combined with a summer long all-star league. With 10 teams located in Wareham, Bourne, Falmouth, Hyannis, Harwich, Yarmouth-Dennis, Chatham, Orleans, Cotuit, and Brewster, players stay with host families, many of whom have boarded players for several years. Many players remain in touch with their host families, who keep track of their paths to the pros. When CCBL players make the majors, it’s common for players to set aside tickets and reunite with their host families at Red Sox and Yankees games.

Some of Vanderbilt’s best players have played in the Cape League. Mike Baxter (Hyannis), Curt Casali (Hyannis),, Aaron Westlake (Chatham), Mike Yazrstremski (Cotuit), Walker Buehler (Yarmouth-Dennis), Vince Conde (Orleans), Rhett Wiseman (Cotuit), Kevin Ziomek (Cotuit), Tony Kemp (Cotuit), Ben Bowden (Yarmouth-Dennis), Bryan Reynolds (Orleans), Jeren Kendall (Cotuit), Will Toffey (Yarmouth-Dennis), JJ Bleday (Orleans), Jason Delay (Bourne), Spencer Jones (Brewster), and Enrique Bradfield Jr. (Cotuit) have all come to the CCBL to hone their craft.

Sonny Gray, Dansby Swanson, Pedro Alvarez, and David Price all received invitations to come to the Cape League but elected to play for Team USA instead. Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker were also invited but could not attend due to the cancellation of the 2020 season because of COVID-19.

Since 2011, the Vandy Boys have either gone to Omaha or fielded at least one CCBL All Star. In the Omaha years, the Vandy players did not have the games played needed in order to be all star eligible. This speaks to the longevity and the dominance of Tim Corbin’s program. With a program that emphasizes fundamentals, situational baseball, and being ready when your number is called, it’s no accident that Vanderbilt’s players thrive against college baseball’s top competition.

Why is the CCBL so elite? Here’s some aspects of the league that make it stand out from its peers:

Wooden bats. Unlike regular NCAA baseball and some other summer leagues, the CCBL is a wooden bat league. This separates the real hitters from the pack as there’s no fooling around to create trampoline metal bats for cheap home runs (cough cough to a certain coach in orange).

The high quality pitching. Most collegiate rotations have a major drop-off in their Sunday and mid-week starters. In the CCBL, every starter is a high-end rotation pitcher at their respective school, leaving little room for Sunday or mid-week stat saving. The typical hitter should expect to see their batting average drop 100 to 150 points because of the elite pitching. Any hitter who leaves Cape Cod with a batting average of .300 or higher has truly achieved something special.

The grind of the schedule. Unlike a typical college season with multiple off-days and time in between mid-week games and weekend series, the Cape League closely mirrors a Major League schedule and has few off-days. This is particularly true for the mid-Cape teams like Chatham, Orleans, and Harwich who experience the infamous Cape Cod fog, resulting in multiple cancellations every summer. Former MLB star Andrew Miller once had the game of his life, where he struck out 12 consecutive batters in just four innings, wiped off the record books due to fog. Whenever a rainout occurs, a double header gets tacked on to the following day’s game and if more rainouts occur, then upcoming off-days get cancelled. Conditioning programs like the Omaha Challenge set up the VandyBoys well to handle this type of schedule.

A change of scenery with a few familiar faces. While the Cape is a major departure from the NCAA season, most players head to their selected Cape team with a couple of teammates. Depending on the CCBL team, certain managers will take players from the same schools for several years in a row. Most collegiate players who get drafted don’t have the luxury of multiple teammates joining them in the minors. A summer on the Cape is a unique opportunity to bond with your teammates in a new setting before the realities of professional baseball set in.

A final opportunity to boost MLB Draft Stock. In 2021, the MLB Draft was moved back to July. Historically, CCBL players used to have to make the difficult decision when arriving to the Cape of electing to play summer ball or signing with the team that drafted them. Now, players who are trying to boost their draft stock can play from the start of the season in mid-June up until the beginning of the draft in mid-July.

Here are some current VandyBoys who had notable summers on the Cape.

After transferring to Vanderbilt, Bowker spent the summer playing for the Orleans Firebirds under Manager Kelly Nicholson. Located at Eldredge Park, Orleans has one of the best fields in the CCBL and one of the biggest fanbases. During home games, the entire right field foul line is littered with towels and beach chairs.

Bowker flashed his weekend starter potential with 36 strikeouts and just 7 walks and a 3.28 ERA in 39 innings pitched. He was also selected to the 2024 Cape Cod League All-Star Game. In his 9 appearances for the Firebirds, Bowker displayed a devastating breaking ball and excellent command of his fastball which sits in the low 90s. With a slingshot delivery, Bowker gets the most out of his lower body on every pitch and his deceptive arm angle adds velocity to his fastball. Starting pitching proved to be a weakness at times for the Commodores last season and Bowker’s addition to the roster is a welcome one.

JD Thompson spent the summer with the Bourne Braves under Manager Scott Landers. Bourne has been one of the most dominant CCBL teams of late, winning the 2022 and 2023 CCBL Championships. Had Thompson stayed the whole summer, Bourne may have pulled off a three-peat.

Springboarding off his dominant outing last year against Tennessee where he reminded Tony Vitello’s pack of hyenas that he did not need sunscreen on his pitching hand, Thompson in just 5 games showed why he projects as the Commodores Ace heading into the season. Thompson was 2-1 with 18 strikeouts and just 3 walks in 14 innings pitched.

While Thompson is a few inches shorter than this MLB Star, his ability to attack the zone with his fastball with a dynamic combination of location and late movement are reminiscent of Madison Bumgarner. With two tough postseason exits in back-to-back years Thompson’s attitude is exactly what Vanderbilt needs. His plus breaking ball and ability to elevate his fastball should result in some big strikeout numbers for the southpaw in the 2025 season.

Braden Holcomb also spent the summer with the Bourne Braves. With Holcomb, everyone knows the Herculean power is there. Over the summer, Holcomb displayed more plate discipline and showed his ability to be a more complete hitter, finishing with a .333 batting average, 25 RBI and 3 home runs in 36 games. Holcomb was also selected to the 2024 Cape Cod League All-Star Game.

While Holcomb can still lower his strikeout totals, his boost in average is encouraging considering that the Commodores will need him to get on base and remain in the heart of the lineup in the 2025 season. It’s been a few years since Vanderbilt has had a hitter like Holcomb in its lineup. Commodore fans should expect continued production and progress from the big fella this season.

JD Rogers spent his summer with the Brewster Whitecaps under Manager Jamie Shvchik. If its name is any indication, Brewster has some of the best surf on Cape Cod and is one of the most popular areas of the Cape during the summer.

Rogers may have had the best summer of any Vanderbilt player. Despite just 21 at-bats during the regular season, Rogers thrived in the CCBL, hitting .287 with 4 RBI and 1 home run over 28 games, earning a selection to the 2024 Cape League All-Star game. In true Tim Corbin fashion, Rogers was ready when his number was called and managed to earn an all-star selection in a league where many star college players struggle. Credit to Rogers for making the most of his opportunity. Any production that Rogers can give the Commodores will be greatly needed in 2025. Rogers has the physical tools to be a productive college player and perhaps his summer on the Cape was the opportunity he needed to live up to that potential.

Jayden Davis spent the summer with the Chatham Anglers under Manager Jeremy Sheetinger. Located at Veterans Field, Chatham has one of the best ballparks on Cape Cod and one of the most passionate fan bases. Every July 4th, Chatham has one of New England’s biggest parades followed by a rivalry game against Orleans.

Davis’ 2024 season was cut short due to a brutal facial fracture injury from a freak hit-by-pitch.

On the Cape, Davis struggled at first, hitting well below .200. However, by the end of the season, Davis caught fire, boosted his average over 100 points, and finished with a .256 batting average, 2 home runs and 12 RBI. By the end of the summer, Davis looked as if he returned to the swiss army knife doubles machine that he was before his awful injury during the regular season. Davis is an intriguing piece for Vanderbilt in 2025 and will look to re-establish himself as one of the SEC’s best contact hitters.

The 2025 Cape Cod League Rosters are still under construction. So long as Tim Corbin is on West End, Vanderbilt will always send players to the Cape Cod League. Be on the lookout as Vanderbilt players receive invites. Twitter Accounts like CodBall have excellent updates regarding roster moves.

Just two weeks away, the upcoming 2025 season presents an important crossroads for Vanderbilt Baseball. With SEC Baseball the strongest it’s ever been, the VandyBoys will need to dig deep to get back to Omaha. Like their predecessors before them, the VandyBoys will need to lean on those Cape League reps to return this program to its elite status. The potential is there. Like Simba in the Lion King, the boys in Black and Gold just need to remember who they are and go take what’s theirs.