IP 123
ERA 4.171
WHIP 1.325
BB/9 4.171
SO/9 8.854
  • Full name Cory Taylor Rasmus
  • Born 11/06/1987 in Columbus, GA
  • Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
  • School Russell County
  • Debut 05/22/2013
  • Drafted in the C-A round (38th overall) by the Atlanta Braves in 2006 (signed for $900,000).
    View Draft Report
    Scouts know Rasmus as well as they can know any high school prospect. The son of Tony, his high school coach and a 10th-round pick of the Angels in the January phase of the 1986 draft, and younger brother of Colby, the Cardinals' first-round pick in 2005, Cory had a celebrated youth and prep career. He was a catcher on the 1999 Phenix City Little League team that advanced to the Little League World Series, and he teamed with Kasey Kiker to form the nation's most successful high school pitching staff as a junior, leading Russell County to a national title in 2005. He was also an Aflac All-American. Rasmus has always shown impressive arm strength. His fastball was clocked in the high 80s as a 15-year-old and last fall he bumped 97 mph. But he doesn't do it easily. His arm is quick but his delivery features lots of effort. His thick, stocky frame lends no projection, but most scouts feel his present package profiles well enough. His command suffers when he's throwing in the mid-90s, but he shows a feel for pitching and his aggressive approach plays well. When he stays on top of his 11-to-5 slider, it has tight spin at 80-83 mph. In one game this season, Rasmus threw eight consecutive changeups, and it grades as an average- to above-average pitch at times. Like Kiker, Rasmus seems to flourish in the spotlight and has turned in impressive performances in front of throngs of scouts. He needs to mature off the field--he was sent home after one day at the East Coast Showcase in 2005 after he took a student's bike for a joyride late one night--but his prankster personality is not a significant concern. Rasmus' track record and arm strength could entice a team to take him as early as the second round, though his lack of projection could land him in the third- to fifth-round range.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

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  • Rated Best Curveball in the Atlanta Braves in 2007

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