DRB Prospect Review: #25 Cole Wilcox
The last player remaining from the Blake Snell trade had an up-and-down season
Over the offseason, the Draybay community takes part in an exercise in which we compile a list of 30 prospects in the Rays system based on popular vote.
Now that the 2024 season has concluded, we can look back at these rankings and see how each individual player performed.
We have already covered
- #30. Erick Lara.
- #29. Kenny Piper
- #28. Tanner Murray
- #27. Jacob Lopez
- #26. Marcus Johnson
We resume the reviews at #25.
25. Cole Wilcox
The San Diego Padres grabbed Cole Wilcox in the 3rd round of the 2020 draft, but he would never pitch a game in their organization. Instead, he would be traded to the Tampa Bay Rays as part of the package for Blake Snell (and only player currently still in the system from that trade). Wilcox quickly showcased abilities and was on his way to becoming a premier pitching prospect before having to undergo Tommy John surgery in 2021. Since returning from the injury, Wilcox’s repertoire hasn’t fully come back and the results have been lackluster.
Before the Season
23 | 6’ 6” I 200
AA | 5.23 ERA, 106.2 IP (25 GS) 21.8% K, 9.7% BB
Wilcox’s first full season following Tommy John surgery in 2021 was muted, with his strikeouts lacking the expected mid-30’s rate. Perhaps that’s because his previous high-octane fastball that earned first round money from the Padres, before they sent him to the Rays in the Snell trade, barely scratches 94 these days. Good pitchers adjust, and the new version of Wilcox was working on a groundballer’s sinker/slider approach in 2023. He’s got a starter’s frame and the breaking ball plays, but it’s an open question as to whether it’s still a major league profile or just a projection of his pedigree.
How it Went
Wilcox opened the year in Double-A and throughout the first half of the season, he showcased himself as the model of consistency, allowing 3 ER or less in 18 of his 20 starts. With his success, the now 25-year old Wilcox reached Triple-A for the first time in his career. Wilcox stumbled a bit at the upper most level in the minor leagues, but also delivered some of his best outings of the season. During his penultimate start, he allowed just one run over seven innings; but then in his final start, he gave up six runs on six hits over four innings.
Final 2024 Statline
AA: 3.18 ERA | 3.16 FIP | 18.9 K% | 6.2 BB% | .264 AVG | 10.7 WHIFF% | 104 2⁄3 IP
AAA: 4.62 ERA | 5.00 FIP | 16.7 K% | 10.1 BB% | .264 AVG | 8.7 WHIFF% | 39 IP