Cole Wilcox
| Cole Wilcox | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Rays | |||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | |||||||||||||||
| Born: July 14, 1999 Chattanooga, Tennessee | |||||||||||||||
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Mitchell Cole Wilcox (born July 14, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
Amateur career[edit]
Wilcox attended Heritage High School in Ringgold, Georgia, where he played baseball, basketball, and football.[1] He committed to play college baseball at the University of Georgia as a freshman.[2] In 2018, his senior year, he went 9–2 with a 1.59 ERA, striking out 95 batters over 65+2⁄3 innings.[3][4] He was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 37th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign and instead chose to fulfill his college commitment.[5]
In 2019, Wilcox's freshman year at Georgia, he appeared in 19 games (six starts) in which he went 3–2 with a 4.07 ERA, striking out 64 over 59+2⁄3 innings.[6] He specifically excelled during SEC play, compiling a 2.29 ERA and a .184 batting average against over 43+2⁄3 innings pitched during conference play.[7] He was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team.[8] That summer, he played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, and also played briefly for the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[9][10][11] Wilcox compiled a 3–0 record and a 1.57 ERA over four starts in 2020 before the college baseball season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
Professional career[edit]
San Diego Padres organization[edit]
Wilcox was considered a top prospect for the 2020 Major League Baseball draft.[13][14] He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the third round with the 80th overall selection.[15] He signed with the Padres on June 30 for a $3.3 million signing bonus, a record among players drafted in the third round.[16] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the pandemic.[17]
Tampa Bay Rays organization[edit]
On December 29, 2020, Wilcox, along with Luis Patiño, Blake Hunt, and Francisco Mejía, were traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for pitcher Blake Snell.[18] To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Charleston RiverDogs of the Low-A East.[19] He was placed on the 10-day injured list with an elbow strain on July 19, and transferred to the 60-day injured list on August 9, effectively ending his season.[20] Over ten starts prior to the injury, Wilcox was 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA, striking out 52 batters over 44+1⁄3 innings.[21] He underwent Tommy John surgery in early September.[22]
Wilcox was activated off the injured list in early August 2022 and made seven appearances between the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Rays and Charleston.[23] Over seven starts between the two teams, he went 0-2 with a 3.94 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 16 innings.[24] To open the 2023 season, he was assigned to the Montgomery Biscuits of the Double-A Southern League.[25]
References[edit]
- ^ "Heritage Hard Throwing Pitcher Cole Wilcox Attracts Plenty of Attention". April 19, 2018.
- ^ "Heritage pitcher Cole Wilcox makes it official by signing with 'dream school'". timesfreepress.com.
- ^ "Draft profile: Cole Wilcox". MLB.com.
- ^ "Cole Wilcox turns down MLB Draft for Georgia". Dawgs247.
- ^ Janes, Chelsea (June 6, 2018). "Nationals scoop up position players on Day 3 of MLB draft". Washington Post.
- ^ Banner-Herald, Mason Cantrell / Athens. "Bulldogs open season with 'Unfinished business'". Athens Banner-Herald.
- ^ "Heritage graduate Cole Wilcox was sharp in SEC play as Georgia freshman". timesfreepress.com.
- ^ ATHLETICS, MEDIA RELEASE FROM UGA (May 20, 2019). "Baseball: Five Bulldogs Earn All-SEC Honors". WGXA.
- ^ Staff Reports. "Georgia pitchers Hancock and Wilcox Earn USA Baseball Team Invitations". Albany Herald.
- ^ "Cole Wilcox helps Team USA one-hit Japan". WSB Radio. July 19, 2019.
- ^ "Cole Wilcox". pointstreak.com. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
- ^ "UGA baseball player Cole Wilcox begs SEC for one more game". Dawgs247.
- ^ "Top Draft Prospects". MLB.com.
- ^ "Pair of Georgia pitchers projected top-10 in 2020 MLB Draft". Dawgs247.
- ^ "Padres wait till third round to snatch Georgia's Cole Wilcox".
- ^ "Padres sign third-rounder Cole Wilcox for record $3.3 million". June 30, 2020.
- ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Canceled".
- ^ Cassavell, AJ. "Padres' blockbuster trade for Snell official". San Diego Padres. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Where TB top prospects are starting season". MLB.com.
- ^ "Rays' Cole Wilcox: Out with undisclosed injury".
- ^ "Rays' Cole Wilcox: Out with elbow strain".
- ^ "Top Rays pitching prospect Cole Wilcox undergoes Tommy John surgery". September 10, 2021.
- ^ "Rays' Cole Wilcox: Kicks off rehab assignment".
- ^ "Cole Wilcox Stats, Fantasy & News".
- ^ https://www.mlb.com/news/where-rays-top-prospects-are-starting-2023-season
External links[edit]
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Georgia Bulldogs bio