Corey Zangari

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #13 prospect in 2016
  An intriguing but flawed two-way prospect at Albert High in the Oklahoma City area, Zangari played his way off the mound for most pro teams with poor control, and his 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame limited him at catcher. The White Sox bought his potential as a righthanded-hitting first baseman and made him their first position player selection in the 2015 draft. Zangari excelled in the Rookie-level Arizona League in his debut, ranking among the circuit's leaders with a .323 average (seventh), six home runs (fourth) and a .169 isolated slugging percentage (eighth). He impressed AZL observers with loose hitting actions, wicked bat speed and a strong, repeatable, leveraged swing that should produce plus power. He will need to tighten his strike-zone judgment to hit for average, though he improved his pitch recognition and contact rate during his debut summer after reducing pre-swing movement in his setup that had caused his head to move. Zangari has more than enough arm strength for first base--he hit 95 mph as a prep pitcher--but every other aspect of his defensive play needs considerable refinement. He's a well below-average runner with limited range. Don't be surprised to see him at low Class A Kannapolis in 2016.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #355 prospect in 2015 draft
  Zangari has given tantalizing glimpses that he could end up as an excellent future reliever. He has shown that he can blow up a radar gun with a 95+ mph fastball, but he's yet to show that he can throw two in a row with the same release point, which explains why he has struggled to throw strikes. And that velocity has not been consistent, adding to the puzzle and the need to project. His breaking ball is equally in need of refinement but every now and then he breaks off one with quality depth. He's a little more refined at the plate, where he has well above-average power potential " he hit 19 home runs this year, including two in the 5-A state semifinal game. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, Zangari's strong arm plays well at catcher, but he's already extremely big for the position and likely will end up as a righthanded-hitting first baseman if he sticks to hitting. If he makes it to Oklahoma State, he has the talent to help the Cowboys on the mound and in the batter's box.

• December, 2015 Scouting Report
  An intriguing but flawed two-way prospect at Albert High in the Oklahoma City area, Zangari played his way off the mound for most pro teams with poor control, and his 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame limited him at catcher. The White Sox bought his potential as a righthanded-hitting first baseman and made him their first position player selection in the 2015 draft. Zangari excelled in the Rookie-level Arizona League in his debut, ranking among the circuit's leaders with a .323 average (seventh), six home runs (fourth) and a .169 isolated slugging percentage (eighth). He impressed AZL observers with loose hitting actions, wicked bat speed and a strong, repeatable, leveraged swing that should produce plus power. He will need to tighten his strike-zone judgment to hit for average, though he improved his pitch recognition and contact rate during his debut summer after reducing pre-swing movement in his setup that had caused his head to move. Zangari has more than enough arm strength for first base--he hit 95 mph as a prep pitcher--but every other aspect of his defensive play needs considerable refinement. He's a well below-average runner with limited range. Don't be surprised to see him at low Class A Kannapolis in 2016.