The Cape Cod Baseball League

Aaron Judge; Paul Skenes; Pete Alonso; Adley Rutschman; Kyle Schwarber. What do all these players have in common? Besides being All-Stars, they have all played in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Many baseball fans (including myself) have never even heard of the league. I was only informed of its existence two months ago by my uncle when I was visiting Cape Cod.

The CCBL is a summer league consisting of two divisions (East and West), each holding five teams found all across the Cape:

East Division

• Brewster Whitecaps
• Chatham Anglers
• Harwich Mariners (your 2024 CCBL champions)
• Orleans Firebirds
• Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox

West Division

• Bourne Braves
• Cotuit Kettleers
• Falmouth Commodores
• Hyannis Harbor Hawks
• Wareham Gatemen

Similar to the MLB, the CCBL has its own regular season, postseason, and even hosts its own All-Star Game. The league also requires the use of wooden bats, which gives players coming from playing college ball the opportunity to use wooden bats in a competitive and high level atmosphere. But for prospects already playing in college, what’s the point of playing in the CCBL?

Using a wooden bat in a competitive atmosphere is one thing, but playing with the best of the best is another. Each player in the CCBL is looking for every opportunity possible to prove themself, and the numbers show that playing summer ball in the CCBL is a great way to do so. In fact, more than 30% of the players drafted in the 2024 MLB Draft played for a CCBL team. The level of competition garners attention from MLB scouts, who get to see players put in different scenarios with different teammates. Playing a summer season in the CCBL is also a great way for players to prepare themselves for the long haul of the minor leagues, if they were to be drafted. So where does playing in the CCBL fall in a player’s career timeline?

Well, the CCBL gives college players another opportunity to showcase their skills to MLB scouts after the NCAA Division I season ends, which is conveniently around the same time as the CCBL regular season starts. All players are required to be at the collegiate level and have at least one year of college eligibility remaining. For example, the #1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Travis Bazzana, played for Oregon State University for three seasons (2022-2024), and played for the Falmouth Commodores in the summer of 2023 after his second season with OSU. While playing for Falmouth that summer, Bazzana recorded a .375 BA and a 1.037 OPS while batting in 31 runs and stealing 14 bases in 44 games, earning himself the 2023 CCBL MVP. Performing well in the CCBL undoubtedly shot his draft stock up and was a major factor in getting him off the board at the #1 spot.

In addition to being beneficial to upcoming players trying to prove themselves at a high level, the CCBL is also beneficial to the Cape itself. Cape Cod, known for its tourism in the summer, has a population of roughly 229,000 people in the winter. By early July, that number goes up to over 500,000. The CCBL acts as another attraction for the tourists traveling to the Cape, and thousands of fans can gather to watch their local team play for the great price of . . . zero dollars? Yes, tickets to all the CCBL games (except the All-Star Game) are free, even the playoff ones! This is because the CCBL is a non-profit organization, and this is seen as just one way that they can provide for their community.

In various different activities, teams from the CCBL engage in charity events, youth clinics, and other programs which all share the same goal: promoting the game of baseball and providing youth athletes with the resources and opportunities to expand their knowledge and love for the game.

Because it is an NPO, the CCBL relies on donations, volunteers, local sponsorships, and grants from the MLB for funding, which is also the reason for why there are no salaries for players in the CCBL. This is what makes it different from any other league of baseball; the players play solely for the love of the game.

No costs; no hidden fees; no “this game is not available in your area.” Just baseball. It’s a breath of fresh air for fans, and a great way to see the new talent coming to Major League Baseball.