By, Nic Jacobsen
Thirteen former Cotuit Kettleers will have their dreams realized as they move onto the professional level. In total, eleven former Kettleers were selected in the 2020 MLB Draft; and two more have been signed as un-drafted free agents.
Nick Gonzales – Round 1 Pick 7 – Pittsburgh Pirates
A 2018 and 2019 member of the Kettleers, Gonzales was the 2019 Cape Cod League MVP. His magnificent 2019 summer helped propel the Kettleers to a Cape League Championship. Gonzales appeared in 128 games over the course of his three seasons at New Mexico State. Spending time at both shortstop and second base in college, he posted a career OPS of 1.249. Before the 2020 NCAA season was cut short, Gonzales was batting .448 with 12 HR and 36 RBI.
Bryce Jarvis – Round 1 Pick 18 – Arizona Diamondbacks
Jarvis started five games for the Kettleers during the 2018 season. In three seasons at Duke, he posted a 2.81 career ERA and 201 strikeouts. In February of 2020, Jarvis threw the 31st perfect game in NCAA history in a matchup with Cornell University. He is the highest drafted player in Duke baseball history.
Casey Schmitt – Rd 2 Pick 49 – San Francisco Giants
Used as both a closer and an infielder during his 2019 season with the Kettleers and his three years at San Diego State, Schmitt is an intriguingly versatile prospect. He closed out the championship game of the Kettleers 2019 season, and won the Championship Series MVP. Schmitt recorded 23 saves with a 2.48 ERA over the course of his NCAA career while posting a batting average of .295.
Kyle Nicolas – Round 2 Pick 61 – Miami Marlins
Nicolas was a valuable member of the Kettleers 2019 Championship team, as he closed out a 15-inning dual with Harwich in Game 1 of the Championship Series. A hard-throwing right hander who spent three seasons at Ball State, he posted a 5.12 ERA with 174 strikeouts in college. His fastball reaches into the mid to upper-90s, and he has shown development in his off-speed and breaking balls.
Nicholas Swiney – Round 2 Pick 67 – San Francisco Giants
Swiney appeared in 2 games with the 2019 Kettleers. He moved into the starting rotation in his third season at NC State after spending his first two years as a relief pitcher. As a college starter, he recorded an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.679.
Zach McCambley – Round 3 Pick 75 – Miami Marlins
Zach McCambley pitched in 5 games for the Kettleers; recording a 1.74 ERA in over 20 innings of work. During his three years at Coastal Carolina, the right-hander displayed a devastating changeup and steadily improving fastball. In NCAA play, McCambley has a career ERA of 3.89 and 158 strikeouts in 141 innings.
Bryce Bonnin – Round 3 Pick 84 – Cincinnati Reds
Spending two years at Texas Tech after transferring out of Arkansas, Bonnin posted career ERA of 4.61. His best performances came during high leverage moments; in the 2019 NCAA Tournament he recorded a 1.65 ERA in three starts. Bonnin pitched in 2 games for the 2018 Kettleers.
Holden Powell – Round 3 Pick 94 – Washington Nationals
An All-American closer in 2019, Powell was also named the Stopper of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. During his All-American season, he recorded 17 saves with a 1.84 ERA and tossed 65 strikeouts. He appeared in 1 game for the 2019 Kettleers.
Luke Little – Round 4 Pick 117 – Chicago Cubs
A 2020 Kettleer who was never able to suit up for the team, Little is a 6’8 lefty who has been known to throw well over 100mph. One of the hardest throwing pitchers in the 2020 draft class, he hurled 86 strikeouts versus 39 walks in 44 1/3 innings during his two years at San Jacinto College.
Beck Way – Round 4 Pick 129 – New York Yankees
Way spent a season at Division II Belmont Abbey before transferring to JUCO powerhouse Northwest Florida State. As a Kettleer, he pitched in 11 games over the course of the 2019 season. In his 2020 NCAA campaign, Way threw 58 strikeouts in 40 innings while maintaining a 0.67 ERA. Should he return to the NCAA system, he has committed to pitch for LSU in 2021.
Joe Boyle – Round 5 Pick 143 – Cincinnati Reds
Appearing in 7 games for the 2018 Kettleers, Boyle’s 102 mph fastball is his calling card. Improving greatly over the course of three seasons at Notre Dame, he has lowered his ERA each year. Boyle had a 3.24 ERA, and had allowed just 3 hits before the 2020 season terminated play.
Duke Ellis – Un-drafted Free Agent – Chicago White Sox
A 2018 and 2019 Kettleer, Ellis played his college ball at Texas after a year at Panola College. During three seasons at Texas, the lefty had a career average of .281 and a career OBP of .409. The speedy center-fielder also stole 40 bases in 134 career games.
Matt Mervis – Un-drafted Free Agent – Chicago Cubs
A 2019 Kettleer, Mervis was a jack-of-all-trades for the team. As a power-hitting corner infielder and relief pitcher, he offered valuable versatility during the Championship run. Mervis displayed his unique two-way ability in four seasons at Duke. He showed promise as a reliever, while also posting a .281 career batting average. In 2020, Mervis was in the midst of a career season at the plate with a 1.048 OPS and .304 BA.