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Overview
School: University of Louisville
Position: Outfield
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 185 lbs.
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Corey Ray 2016 MLB Draft Profile
Corey Ray is a 21-year-old sophomore currently attending Louisville. He played high school baseball at the Simeon Career Academy in Chicago, Illinois where he was ranked the #1 outfielder in Illinois and #2 in the nation. He was drafted out of high school by the Seattle Mariners in the 33rd round, but didn’t sign. In his sophomore season, Ray was selected to the All-ACC first team, D1 Baseball All-American third team, and Baseball America All-American second team.
Jheremy Brown, a scout at Perfect Game, had this to say in an interview about Ray: “It’s thought that Corey Ray will probably shift over to Center Field at the next level. He’s a plus runner with an average-ish arm that will get the job done. Ray has a + build and is full of physicality, particularly in his forearms and lower half. He’s continued to develop over the fence power, but doesn’t go to the plate hunting the long ball. In fact, he’s the Cardinals leadoff hitter and is more than capable of getting the job done there as he has continued to improve his approach, drawing more walks and shortening up with two-strikes. The swing isn’t overly complicated as it’s long and fluid and is more than capable of creating backspin on line drive contact to all fields with easy jump off the barrel.”
Strengths:
- Capable of being a solid lead-off hitter
- Power is developing
- Fluid swing
- Good frame and athleticism
- Great speed, 30+ stolen base potential
Weaknesses:
- Moving positions at the next level
- Average arm
- Slightly smaller than most and has room to get physically stronger
MLB Comparison: Starling Marte, Pittsburgh Pirates
Projected Pick Range: Top 5
Most Likely Landing Spot: Milwaukee Brewers
Bottom Line
Ray definitely has top-five potential, and if the Brewers take him fifth overall they would be getting a good piece that can develop into an everyday player. At just 21, he has time to develop and hone his skills, and with a team like the Brewers in rebuild mode, they surely have their eye on a player like Ray.
Sources: Jheremy Brown (Perfect Game), Louisville Baseball, Baseball America
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