Anglers News« Back to 2025 News |
Breaking down Chatham’s top position players ahead of 2025
CHATHAM, Mass. — It’s a new era of Anglers baseball.
Under former manager Jeremy Sheetinger, Chatham started 2024 with a 16-15 record, putting itself in position to end its four-year playoff drought. But in mid-July, Sheetinger resigned from his position, and the Anglers suffered an early exit in the Cape Cod Baseball League postseason under interim manager Eric Beattie.
Now, former Anglers pitching coach Dennis Cook is back in Chatham, this time as the manager. In his first season on the job, he has hit the ground running, completely revamping Chatham’s roster with a bevy of fresh faces. From SEC stars to All-American infielders, Cook has the Anglers primed for a deeper postseason run in 2025.
Ahead of the 2025 season opener, we detailed Chatham’s top position players to look out for in Cook’s first year at the helm.
For decades, the Anglers have consistently boasted a strong collection of infielders. In 2005, Evan Longoria made a name for himself in Chatham before going onto an illustrious 16-year major league career. Decades later, Chatham has continued to produce first-round talents such as Michael Busch and JJ Wetherholt, and 2024 alum Aiva Arquette seems bound to join those ranks come July.
This year is no exception to that rule. The group is highlighted by Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese, who started his career at Houston. In his freshman season with the Cougars, Reese started in left field and registered a .901 OPS. But he only truly blossomed after transferring to the Bulldogs. As a sophomore in 2025, he hit 21 home runs and hit for a stellar 1.140 OPS, earning Third-Team All-American honors at season’s end.
Yet, Reese might not be penciled in at third on Opening Day. Chatham is expected to welcome North Carolina third baseman Gavin Gallaher to the squad, and he could seriously challenge Reese for a spot at the hot corner. After starting at third for the Tar Heels as a freshman, Gallaher similarly exploded in his sophomore season, crushing 17 home runs and earning Most Outstanding Player honors for the Chapel Hill Regional.
Across the diamond, however, there’s little doubt about who's going to start at first. That spot belongs to Indiana freshman Jake Hanley. The Hoosiers had a rather mediocre 32-24 record last year, but Hanley still managed to make his mark, finishing his debut collegiate campaign with 14 homers and a 1.004 OPS. Until Hanley leaves Chatham, first base is his for the keeping.
The middle infield is a little more complex, with several names expected to contribute early. Regardless, Texas second baseman Ethan Mendoza should find himself squarely in the mix. After starting at second for Arizona State as a freshman, Mendoza made the move to Austin for his sophomore season. Last year, he quickly became a fixture in the Longhorns lineup, hitting for a strong .333 average and a .912 OPS.
A year after current Baltimore Orioles centerfield prospect Austin Overn steered Chatham’s batting order, the Anglers boast a new crop of intriguing outfielders in 2025. The group is led by right fielder Henry Ford, who put together a stellar sophomore season at Virginia this past spring. Ford earned Second-Team All-ACC honors by tallying a .362 batting average, a .975 OPS and belting 11 home runs. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder’s power and run-production stand out — he racked up 28 homers and drove in 115 runs across two years in Charlottesville.
Ford is currently MLB.com’s No. 73-ranked prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft, so his summer in Chatham will likely be cut short.
But Auburn outfielder Cade Belyeu might be in for a lengthier stay, since he isn’t draft-eligible yet. This past spring with the Tigers, Belyeu batted .278 in 41 games while accumulating a .894 OPS. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Belyeu possesses a solid size-plus-speed combination. He’s blasted 13 home runs over two seasons at Auburn and stolen 16 bases. Before receiving SEC All-Freshman Team honors in 2024, Belyeu was Perfect Game’s No. 3-ranked Alabama high-school recruit in the class of 2023.
Ashton Larson, who returns to Chatham for a second straight summer, should be with the Anglers down the stretch as well. Last summer, Larson earned the A’s Thurman Munson Most Outstanding Position Player Award after registering 37 hits and a .788 OPS in 31 games. A rising junior at LSU, Larson spent time as a reserve in the 2025 college baseball season. After earning an SEC All-Freshman Team selection in 2024, his batting average dropped over 40 points in 2025. With LSU in the College World Series, Larson will likely join the A’s roster a few weeks into the summer.
Northwestern corner outfielder Jackson Freeman rounds out Chatham’s preseason group. Freeman played in 52 games as a sophomore for the Wildcats and racked up 40 RBI. The Ladera Ranch, California, native aptly followed up a Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection in 2024 with a .780 OPS season this past spring. Freeman’s efficient plate approach sticks out, striking out 37 times compared to 25 bases on balls in 2025.
The Anglers total five rostered catchers before Opening Day, including Georgia backstop Daniel Jackson, a returnee from the 2024 squad. Jackson played in just four games last summer, posting a .188 batting average across 16 plate appearances. He started 39 games as a sophomore this past NCAA campaign with the Bulldogs after transferring from Wofford. Jackson laced 14 homers and tallied a .556 slugging clip despite batting just .218.
Of all Chatham’s catchers, Auburn’s Chase Fralick enters with the most potent numbers from the collegiate season. Fralick, a 19-year-old, was a First-Team Freshman All-American and SEC All-Freshman Team member this past year, racking up 71 hits in 59 games with a .335 batting average and .898 OPS. He also proved to be sure-handed behind home plate, registering a .991 fielding percentage with only four errors.
Michigan’s Noah Miller — who broke out as a sophomore this spring with a near-.900 OPS — also elicits excitement. Miller didn’t play much for the Wolverines in 2024, but he earned 22 starts this past campaign and reached base in over 40% of his at-bats. Miller blasted two home runs across his final four appearances in 2025, a rhythm he’ll hope to regain with the A’s.
Yet, Chatham’s highest-potential catcher on-paper is Cade Arrambide. Formerly rated as MLB.com’s No. 1 high-school catching prospect entering the 2024 MLB Draft, Arrambide pulled his name from the draft and opted to attend LSU instead. He’s earned solid playing time for the Tigers as a platoon catcher thus far, hitting four home runs and slugging for .484. Though Arrambide will be in Omaha with LSU in the College World Series starting this weekend, his possible arrival to Chatham could provide the Anglers with a crucial mid-season boost.
Under former manager Jeremy Sheetinger, Chatham started 2024 with a 16-15 record, putting itself in position to end its four-year playoff drought. But in mid-July, Sheetinger resigned from his position, and the Anglers suffered an early exit in the Cape Cod Baseball League postseason under interim manager Eric Beattie.
Now, former Anglers pitching coach Dennis Cook is back in Chatham, this time as the manager. In his first season on the job, he has hit the ground running, completely revamping Chatham’s roster with a bevy of fresh faces. From SEC stars to All-American infielders, Cook has the Anglers primed for a deeper postseason run in 2025.
Ahead of the 2025 season opener, we detailed Chatham’s top position players to look out for in Cook’s first year at the helm.
Infielders
For decades, the Anglers have consistently boasted a strong collection of infielders. In 2005, Evan Longoria made a name for himself in Chatham before going onto an illustrious 16-year major league career. Decades later, Chatham has continued to produce first-round talents such as Michael Busch and JJ Wetherholt, and 2024 alum Aiva Arquette seems bound to join those ranks come July.
This year is no exception to that rule. The group is highlighted by Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese, who started his career at Houston. In his freshman season with the Cougars, Reese started in left field and registered a .901 OPS. But he only truly blossomed after transferring to the Bulldogs. As a sophomore in 2025, he hit 21 home runs and hit for a stellar 1.140 OPS, earning Third-Team All-American honors at season’s end.
Yet, Reese might not be penciled in at third on Opening Day. Chatham is expected to welcome North Carolina third baseman Gavin Gallaher to the squad, and he could seriously challenge Reese for a spot at the hot corner. After starting at third for the Tar Heels as a freshman, Gallaher similarly exploded in his sophomore season, crushing 17 home runs and earning Most Outstanding Player honors for the Chapel Hill Regional.
Across the diamond, however, there’s little doubt about who's going to start at first. That spot belongs to Indiana freshman Jake Hanley. The Hoosiers had a rather mediocre 32-24 record last year, but Hanley still managed to make his mark, finishing his debut collegiate campaign with 14 homers and a 1.004 OPS. Until Hanley leaves Chatham, first base is his for the keeping.
The middle infield is a little more complex, with several names expected to contribute early. Regardless, Texas second baseman Ethan Mendoza should find himself squarely in the mix. After starting at second for Arizona State as a freshman, Mendoza made the move to Austin for his sophomore season. Last year, he quickly became a fixture in the Longhorns lineup, hitting for a strong .333 average and a .912 OPS.
Outfielders
A year after current Baltimore Orioles centerfield prospect Austin Overn steered Chatham’s batting order, the Anglers boast a new crop of intriguing outfielders in 2025. The group is led by right fielder Henry Ford, who put together a stellar sophomore season at Virginia this past spring. Ford earned Second-Team All-ACC honors by tallying a .362 batting average, a .975 OPS and belting 11 home runs. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder’s power and run-production stand out — he racked up 28 homers and drove in 115 runs across two years in Charlottesville.
Ford is currently MLB.com’s No. 73-ranked prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft, so his summer in Chatham will likely be cut short.
But Auburn outfielder Cade Belyeu might be in for a lengthier stay, since he isn’t draft-eligible yet. This past spring with the Tigers, Belyeu batted .278 in 41 games while accumulating a .894 OPS. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Belyeu possesses a solid size-plus-speed combination. He’s blasted 13 home runs over two seasons at Auburn and stolen 16 bases. Before receiving SEC All-Freshman Team honors in 2024, Belyeu was Perfect Game’s No. 3-ranked Alabama high-school recruit in the class of 2023.
Ashton Larson, who returns to Chatham for a second straight summer, should be with the Anglers down the stretch as well. Last summer, Larson earned the A’s Thurman Munson Most Outstanding Position Player Award after registering 37 hits and a .788 OPS in 31 games. A rising junior at LSU, Larson spent time as a reserve in the 2025 college baseball season. After earning an SEC All-Freshman Team selection in 2024, his batting average dropped over 40 points in 2025. With LSU in the College World Series, Larson will likely join the A’s roster a few weeks into the summer.
Northwestern corner outfielder Jackson Freeman rounds out Chatham’s preseason group. Freeman played in 52 games as a sophomore for the Wildcats and racked up 40 RBI. The Ladera Ranch, California, native aptly followed up a Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection in 2024 with a .780 OPS season this past spring. Freeman’s efficient plate approach sticks out, striking out 37 times compared to 25 bases on balls in 2025.
Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson (pictured) returns for his second straight summer in Chatham. He blasted 14 home runs for the Bulldogs in the 2025 NCAA campaign, giving the Anglers a potent power bat in their lineup.
Catchers
The Anglers total five rostered catchers before Opening Day, including Georgia backstop Daniel Jackson, a returnee from the 2024 squad. Jackson played in just four games last summer, posting a .188 batting average across 16 plate appearances. He started 39 games as a sophomore this past NCAA campaign with the Bulldogs after transferring from Wofford. Jackson laced 14 homers and tallied a .556 slugging clip despite batting just .218.
Of all Chatham’s catchers, Auburn’s Chase Fralick enters with the most potent numbers from the collegiate season. Fralick, a 19-year-old, was a First-Team Freshman All-American and SEC All-Freshman Team member this past year, racking up 71 hits in 59 games with a .335 batting average and .898 OPS. He also proved to be sure-handed behind home plate, registering a .991 fielding percentage with only four errors.
Michigan’s Noah Miller — who broke out as a sophomore this spring with a near-.900 OPS — also elicits excitement. Miller didn’t play much for the Wolverines in 2024, but he earned 22 starts this past campaign and reached base in over 40% of his at-bats. Miller blasted two home runs across his final four appearances in 2025, a rhythm he’ll hope to regain with the A’s.
Yet, Chatham’s highest-potential catcher on-paper is Cade Arrambide. Formerly rated as MLB.com’s No. 1 high-school catching prospect entering the 2024 MLB Draft, Arrambide pulled his name from the draft and opted to attend LSU instead. He’s earned solid playing time for the Tigers as a platoon catcher thus far, hitting four home runs and slugging for .484. Though Arrambide will be in Omaha with LSU in the College World Series starting this weekend, his possible arrival to Chatham could provide the Anglers with a crucial mid-season boost.
