Drafted in the C round (32nd overall) by the Texas Rangers in 1996.
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In 1997, Lee was the organization's pitcher of the year. Last fall, he passed through outright waivers without being claimed. Lee's decline can be blamed on a loss of control. He led the Texas League in walks in 1998 and ranked third in that category in the Pacific Coast League last season. Lee's fastball is average at best, and he loses confidence in it when it gets hit. Then he nibbles with his offspeed stuff, falls behind in the count and gets into more trouble. His curveball is his best pitch, and he also has a slider and changeup. Lee bounced back after a rough first year at Double-A. If he does the same thing in Triple-A this season, he could get another chance.
Background: Lee had good stuff and excellent command in 1997, but his command suffered last year, even as stuff improved. Hits were hard to come by off Lee, who was chosen with the compensation pick for losing Kenny Rogers to free agency. Strengths: When Lee throws strikes, he has a complete four-pitch arsenal. His best pitch for both command and quality is a tight curveball. Lee's fastball is 91-93 mph with good life. His slider and changeup are both solid major league average pitches. Weaknesses: The Rangers say that Lee's command problems were caused by a mechanical problem that left his fastball up in the zone and his determination to throw his "mega-stuff" on each pitch. He has been counseled on paying less attention to radar gun readings, which mean less to hitters than scouts. The Future: The Rangers feel they corrected Lee's control problems in instructional league, where he walked just one hitter in 20 innings. He has the highest ceiling of any of the Rangers prospects and could come quickly if he gains consistency.
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Career Transactions
LHP Corey Lee assigned to Sugar Land Space Cowboys.
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