Colton Ledbetter Stats & Scouting Report

AB	395
AVG	.273
OBP	.339
SLG	.484
HR	16

Full name Colton Aaron Ledbetter
Born 11/15/2001 in Hoover, AL
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Mississippi State
Drafted in the 2nd round (55th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023 (signed for $1,297,500).

View Draft Report

School: Mississippi State Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.7
BA Grade:50/High
Tools:Hit: 55. Power: 50. Run: 50. Field: 50. Arm: 50.

Ledbetter was a standout hitter and outfielder with Samford for two seasons, culminating in a 2022 year where he hit .318/.407/.640 with 16 home runs, 16 doubles and 14 stolen bases. After continuing to mash in the New England Collegiate League during the summer, Ledbetter transferred to Mississippi State, where he continued to show an excellent approach and performed in the SEC, to the tune of a .320/.452/.574 slash line with 12 home runs and 17 stolen bases. Ledbetter is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound outfielder who has impressed scouts this spring with his well-rounded skill set and advanced offensive approach. He is a selective hitter who rarely expanded the strike zone—just a 16% chase rate—and walked at a 19% rate compared to a 14.5% strikeout rate. He also has strong pure bat-to-ball skills and made contact at an 84% clip, including an in-zone contact rate of 91%. After showing power to straightaway center field at Samford, most of Ledbetter’s home runs were pulled with Mississippi State and he looks like more of an average power hitter at the next level. His average exit velocity in 2023 was a modest 86 mph, and his 90th percentile exit velocity was 104 mph. Ledbetter is a solid runner who is slow out of the box initially before getting up to speed, and he has a chance to be an average defender in center field with improved route running. He has an average arm.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 50/High

Track Record: Ledbetter has always hit. In two years at Samford, he was one of the best hitters in the Southern Conference. He then was one of the best players in the New England Collegiate League during summer 2022. And to prove that he could handle a jump in level of competition, Ledbetter transferred to Mississippi State for his junior year, where he showed that he was just as capable of hitting Southeastern Conference pitching. He hit .320/.452/.574 while stealing 17 bases in 2023, making himself the Rays’ second-round pick. Ledbetter finished his pro debut with Low-A Charleston as starting center fielder during the postseason. He homered in Game 1 of the championship series to help the RiverDogs win their third straight title.

Scouting Report: Ledbetter is a well-rounded outfielder who has a chance to have five average tools. He doesn’t do anything exceptionally, but he also has no glaring weakness. He doesn’t chase too frequently. He doesn’t get himself out and shouldn’t strike out too much. Ledbetter has average power, and he’s an above-average defender in the corners who can plausibly play center field, though probably not for the Rays who always seem to have plus defenders in center.

The Future: As a capable SEC hitter who has already gotten a taste of the Carolina League, a push to High-A Bowling Green to start 2024 is likely. There are plenty of Rays outfield prospects who do something better than Ledbetter. But the Rays don’t have an outfield prospect who can do as many things well as Ledbetter.

Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50

Draft Prospects

School: Mississippi State Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.7
BA Grade:50/High
Tools:Hit: 55. Power: 50. Run: 50. Field: 50. Arm: 50.

Ledbetter was a standout hitter and outfielder with Samford for two seasons, culminating in a 2022 year where he hit .318/.407/.640 with 16 home runs, 16 doubles and 14 stolen bases. After continuing to mash in the New England Collegiate League during the summer, Ledbetter transferred to Mississippi State, where he continued to show an excellent approach and performed in the SEC, to the tune of a .320/.452/.574 slash line with 12 home runs and 17 stolen bases. Ledbetter is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound outfielder who has impressed scouts this spring with his well-rounded skill set and advanced offensive approach. He is a selective hitter who rarely expanded the strike zone—just a 16% chase rate—and walked at a 19% rate compared to a 14.5% strikeout rate. He also has strong pure bat-to-ball skills and made contact at an 84% clip, including an in-zone contact rate of 91%. After showing power to straightaway center field at Samford, most of Ledbetter’s home runs were pulled with Mississippi State and he looks like more of an average power hitter at the next level. His average exit velocity in 2023 was a modest 86 mph, and his 90th percentile exit velocity was 104 mph. Ledbetter is a solid runner who is slow out of the box initially before getting up to speed, and he has a chance to be an average defender in center field with improved route running. He has an average arm.