Hawks in the Draft
Photo by Tyler Thomas.
Gabriela Vitale — Hyannis Harbor Hawks
With the MLB draft approaching soon, many Cape league teams' rosters will be adding new faces once their players leave to pursue their major league careers. The draft will take place in Los Angeles with rounds one, two and the supplemental rounds on July 17 and rounds 3-20 through July 19.
The first round of the MLB draft order can be found here via Jonathan Mayo by MLB.com, with the Baltimore Orioles having the first pick followed by the DiamondBacks and the Rangers.
The Harbor Hawks have been on a hot streak since the start of this season. If all goes right for some players, Hyannis fans could hear some familiar names called in the draft here soon.
Let's take a look at the draft eligible Harbor Hawks players that could head off and pursue their life-long dream.
Jacob Campbell | C | Illinois: Campbell is likely the highest draft pick taken from the Hawks roster this summer. Being a fourth year he doesn't have much leverage, but with his excellent defense behind the plate he should hear his name called in the middle of the draft. Campbell has shown complete dominance on both sides on the plate and was a key component to the Hawks lineup, hitting .233 while hosing 36% of the runners trying to steal. He was originally drafted in the 36th round of the 2018 draft by the Chicago Cubs, but decided to pursue playing college ball first. This spring for Illinois, Campbell hit .281/.344/.469 with 43 RBIs, 8 home runs and gunned down 12 guys on the base paths.
Brody McCullough | P | Wingate: McCullough had a couple dominant years on the mound for Wingate, guiding them to a DII national championship. As a fourth year guy that projects as a reliever, he is likely to go in the later rounds. In the spring for Wingate, he posted a 9-1 record with a 2.40 ERA and had five games with 10+ strikeouts. He came to Cape Cod and proved that his stuff can play with the best hitters in the country, recording a 2.70 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 20 innings.
Cole McConnell | OF | Louisiana Tech: Scouts really like McConnell’s defensive ability and he has good power for a guy that’s projected to stick in centerfield at the next level. He slashed .336/.417/.535 for LA tech in the spring, hitting 9 home runs. He proved to be a solid hitter at the plate on Cape Cod with a .286 batting average thus far. If McConnell decides to return back to school, he can boost his draft stock by cutting down his strikeouts, as we’ve seen with other players in past years.
Justin Janas | 1B | Illinois: After four great seasons between college and summer ball, Janas has shown to have one of the most professional approaches at the plate with the ability to hit to all fields. He doesn't have much power at first base but makes up for it with his bat. He posted a .361/.507/.501 slash line for Illinois in the spring and hit .307 for the Hawks this summer, good for top 5 on Cape Cod. Given his hitting style, expect more of an analytical team like the Rays or Astros to give him a shot at the next level.
Ethan Hammerberg | P | Ohio State: Hammerbergs’ draft projectability is unclear, but scouts like the potential with his frame. He gets up to 96/97 and his curveball at times slashes as being his best pitch. He posted a great spring for the Buckeyes with six saves, striking out 49 batters while walking 9. For Hyannis this summer he recorded a 2-0 record with a 0.69 ERA thus far. If Hammerberg isn’t picked in the draft, there’s a closing role open for him at OSU.
Tito Flores | OF | Michigan: Flores was originally projected to return back to school, but with Erik Bakich taking the head coaching job at Clemson, it might increase the odds of him pursuing his professional career sooner than later. He hit .276 for Michigan in the spring with much improved power, recording 30 extra base hits for the Wolverines. On Cape, he has posted a .250 batting average for the Hawks so far. Don’t be surprised if Flores hears his name called in the later rounds of the draft or signs a free agent deal.
Phillip Matulia | OF/1B | Louisiana Tech: Matulia has already had two pro contracts thrown at him but, each time, decided to return back to LA Tech. He could land another free agency deal but it will be interesting to see how high his signing number goes with the NIL potential. Matulia slashed .252/.436/.361 for LA Tech in the spring and has recorded 2 home runs and a nearly 1:1 BB:K ratio for Hyannis.