Corey Zangari

Position: 1B
Born: 5/7/1997
Ht:
6’4″ Wt: 240 lb B-T: R-R
Acquired: Drafted 6th round in the 2015 draft out of Carl Albert HS (Okla.)
Career Stats

FutureSox Prospect Rankings

  • #20 – 2015 Midseason
  • #12 – 2016 Preseason
  • #17 – 2016 Midseason
  • #26 – 2017 Preseason

FutureSox Media

Accolades

  • Arizona League All-Star, 2015 Postseason

Scouting Report

Zangari was drafted in the sixth round as an over-slot signing – inking for $225,200 more than his slot allotment of $284,800. He is a big first baseman with plenty of raw power that got him 19 home runs in his senior year of high school. There was some question of whether a team might draft him as a pitcher, as he has hit mid-90s from the mound.

The expectation in his pro debut was a lot of swing-and-miss with flashes of power, and that’s what we got at first. He hit .240/.247/.427 in his first month of action with 21 K and just 1 walk in 77 plate appearances. But he adjusted quickly and fully enough to turn that into an impressive final, complete line of .323/.356/.492, 11 walks and 49 K in 208 PA with the AZL squad.

Zangari opened as an 18-year-old at Kannapolis in 2016 and was overmatched. He hit .166 and struck out a whopping 106 times in 248 PA (though he did hit 8 home runs in a power-suppressing home park). He was sent down to Great Falls, where he hit .257/.330/.426.

Corey did not play in 2017 due to Tommy John surgery in March of that year. He re-appeared in 2018 at Great Falls where he proceeded to hit for absurd power (9 HR in 17 games) and more importantly a greatly improved contact rate (16 K in 73 PA). Then, in his second plate appearance back up with Kannapolis he suffered a wrist injury on a HBP and missed the remainder of 2018.

Zangari got another shot at Kannapolis in 2019 and showed the power and a lot of walks, but little else. He hit .203/.314/.428.

Zangari’s raw power is impressive, and that is his carrying tool. His defense at first base needs a lot of work. Between multiple significant injuries and the pandemic canceling the 2020 minor league season, Zangari has missed a lot of development time.