1. Kyle Lewis, of, Orleans (Mercer/JR in 2016)
The summer that Mercer’s Kyle Lewis used to launch himself into first round discussion didn’t come out of the complete blue considering the monstrous numbers he put up during the spring of 2015. After posting a .367/.423/.677 slash for the Bears, the ultra-projectable and long-limbed 6-foot-4, 195-pound Lewis suited up for the talent laden Orleans Cardinals and proved to be the star attraction throughout the league from the moment he stepped foot in Massachusetts. The frame alone is worth mentioning as you seldom see a player built like Lewis who oozes athleticism and an overall looseness that make him easy to project upon getting even stronger at the next level. A righthander hitter who showed a sound approach in the box, Lewis showed the ability to work a count, taking borderline pitches that most would swing through while fouling off tough “pitcher’s pitches.” In doing so he is susceptible to the strikeout as the spring and summer stats suggest, but the overall results often overshadow that consequence. Perhaps the main contributing factor to Lewis’s success both with Mercer and on the Cape is his ability to see the ball deep in the zone, something made possible by how explosive his hands are and how direct his barrel path to the ball is. He works all fields comfortably with the bat, able turn on an inner half pitch or drive the outer half ones deep to the opposite field and does so with intent. He may not have led the league in any particular offensive category but he did hit .300 with seven home runs and 24 RBI over 150 at-bats. He’s not a one- or two-tool player though as he’s at least a solid runner both on the bases and in right field where he spent a majority of the summer. Lewis put himself in the discussion with the other top outfield prospects for 2015, including fellow Cape Cod participant Bryan Reynolds as detailed below.