Jason Coats

Position: OF
Born: 2/24/1990
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 200 lb B-T: R-R
Acquired: Drafted 29th round in the 2012 draft out of TCU
Career Stats

FutureSox Prospect Rankings

  • #21 – 2015 Midseason
  • #18 – 2016 Preseason
  • #14 – 2016 Midseason

FutureSox Media

Accolades

  • South Atlantic League All-Star, 2013 Midseason
  • Carolina League All-Star, 2014 Midseason

Scouting Report

Coats was drafted in the 29th round, but would have been taken much higher if not for a knee injury late in his final season at TCU. He was drafted in the 12th round in 2011, but didn’t sign. That injury also kept him out of pro play during his draft year, delaying his development a bit and putting him about a year old for level his first couple seasons.

In 2013 he posted decent numbers with Low-A Kannapolis (.271/.320/.426, 12 HR, 38 2B, 15.1% K/PA in 133 games) and stole 12 bases in 15 attempts. Going to High-A Winston-Salem in 2014 he improved his hitting numbers across the board (.291/.350/.487, 15 HR, 35 2B, 13.6% K/PA). He was promoted late that year to Double-A Birmingham, but only got in 19 games. He opened 2015 on a tear back in AA (.340 AVG, 9 2B in 12 games) and was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte before April was even out. After some early adjustment struggles (.244/.276/.386, 45 K, 10 BB in 262 PA through June), he finished the year strong (.296/.350/.490, 48 K, 19 BB in 268 PA in July-Sept.).

Coats had a big year in 2016, posting a .335/.399/.567 line in Charlotte and getting his first big league call-up in June. He only got 29 plate appearances though as the Sox continued to stick with Avisail Garcia, and Coats lost the numbers game and was demoted back to Charlotte after the All-Star break.

Coats was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Rays in January of 2017. He later tore his UCL, requiring Tommy John surgery. He missed the entire 2017 season and came back to spend the next two years with the Rays’ Triple-A affiliate in Durham.

In terms of tools, Coats is primarily a line drive hitter with a good combo of contact and power. He doesn’t walk much, but he does work counts and has a good enough feel for hitting to hit for high average. He’s got quiet hands in the box, but accelerates the head out quickly and shows surprising bat speed. Defensively, Coats is above average on the corners and possesses a decent arm that makes him profile as a right fielder. He’s played some CF as well and can make that work in a pinch. There’s some speed there, though he’s not a base stealer. All told, this is a player without a standout tool, but also without glaring weaknesses.