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Cervantes wins CCBL Pitcher of the Year, A’s team awards announced
CHATHAM, Mass. — Four Chatham players received awards for their performances over the 2026 summer.
Angel Cervantes (UCLA) received the Cape Cod Baseball League’s B.F.C. Whitehouse Outstanding Pitcher Award. Rob Rispoli (UConn) was awarded the Cape League’s 2026 Daniel J. Silva Sportsmanship Award, given annually from umpires around the league to one Cape Cod Baseball League player.
Cervantes was also given Chatham’s Ed Baird Most Outstanding Pitcher award. Bino Watters (LSU) took home Chatham’s Thurman Munson Most Outstanding Position Player award, while Rispoli and Oliver Pudvar (UConn) took home the A’s Eddie Lyons Coach’s Award.
All four players were named to the Cape League’s East Division All-Star team. Cervantes, Pudvar and Rispoli were all on Chatham’s Opening Day roster. Watters arrived for Game 4 of the A’s season, and led the team with 35 games played and 132 at bats.
The recognition comes after a fantastic introduction to the Cape for Cervantes. Initially, Cervantes wasn’t sure if he had pitched too many innings in his freshman year at UCLA to come to Chatham, but he ended up joining the A’s and becoming their ace. He finished the regular season with a 1.05 earned run average, a 0.82 WHIP and a .170 batting average allowed, all of which are the CCBL’s lowest marks.
“I was starting to be at my peak of my performance every single outing, and (my UCLA coaches) wanted me to continue it and really feel how good I could be,” Cervantes said of his decision to come to Chatham. “And obviously, it's been showing.”
Since arriving in the first week of the season, Watters has consistently been Chatham’s best bat this summer. He led all qualified Angler hitters with a .318 batting average and a .788 OPS. He also ranked second in the Cape League with 29 RBIs in the regular season, and ranked second with 42 total hits, including eight extra-base hits and one homer.
“He's been here a long summer,” Anglers’ pitching coach Jay Powell said of Watters. “He's had a lot of good at bats.”
Rispoli has also been a consistent force for the A’s atop their lineup. He hasn’t appeared in a contest since July 23 due to injury, but has attempted to nurse his way back to full health. Before then, he appeared in 25 games and accrued 70 at bats for Chatham. He currently leads the Anglers with 24 walks, and his .808 OPS would lead qualified Anglers if he had enough plate appearances to qualify.
Pudvar made six starts and pitched 29.1 regular season innings, the most of any Angler and the fifth-most of all Cape League pitchers. The lefty also led the team with 30 strikeouts in that span, the seventh-most of all pitchers in the league, and issued just eight walks. His 9.20 strikeouts per nine innings led all qualified Anglers, and he finished the regular season with a 4.30 ERA.
“He's a good pitcher, he's a great teammate and he is a great kid,” Cook said of Pudvar.
Angel Cervantes (UCLA) received the Cape Cod Baseball League’s B.F.C. Whitehouse Outstanding Pitcher Award. Rob Rispoli (UConn) was awarded the Cape League’s 2026 Daniel J. Silva Sportsmanship Award, given annually from umpires around the league to one Cape Cod Baseball League player.
Cervantes was also given Chatham’s Ed Baird Most Outstanding Pitcher award. Bino Watters (LSU) took home Chatham’s Thurman Munson Most Outstanding Position Player award, while Rispoli and Oliver Pudvar (UConn) took home the A’s Eddie Lyons Coach’s Award.
All four players were named to the Cape League’s East Division All-Star team. Cervantes, Pudvar and Rispoli were all on Chatham’s Opening Day roster. Watters arrived for Game 4 of the A’s season, and led the team with 35 games played and 132 at bats.
The recognition comes after a fantastic introduction to the Cape for Cervantes. Initially, Cervantes wasn’t sure if he had pitched too many innings in his freshman year at UCLA to come to Chatham, but he ended up joining the A’s and becoming their ace. He finished the regular season with a 1.05 earned run average, a 0.82 WHIP and a .170 batting average allowed, all of which are the CCBL’s lowest marks.
“I was starting to be at my peak of my performance every single outing, and (my UCLA coaches) wanted me to continue it and really feel how good I could be,” Cervantes said of his decision to come to Chatham. “And obviously, it's been showing.”
Since arriving in the first week of the season, Watters has consistently been Chatham’s best bat this summer. He led all qualified Angler hitters with a .318 batting average and a .788 OPS. He also ranked second in the Cape League with 29 RBIs in the regular season, and ranked second with 42 total hits, including eight extra-base hits and one homer.
“He's been here a long summer,” Anglers’ pitching coach Jay Powell said of Watters. “He's had a lot of good at bats.”
Rispoli has also been a consistent force for the A’s atop their lineup. He hasn’t appeared in a contest since July 23 due to injury, but has attempted to nurse his way back to full health. Before then, he appeared in 25 games and accrued 70 at bats for Chatham. He currently leads the Anglers with 24 walks, and his .808 OPS would lead qualified Anglers if he had enough plate appearances to qualify.
Pudvar made six starts and pitched 29.1 regular season innings, the most of any Angler and the fifth-most of all Cape League pitchers. The lefty also led the team with 30 strikeouts in that span, the seventh-most of all pitchers in the league, and issued just eight walks. His 9.20 strikeouts per nine innings led all qualified Anglers, and he finished the regular season with a 4.30 ERA.
“He's a good pitcher, he's a great teammate and he is a great kid,” Cook said of Pudvar.
