Casey Cook Stats & Scouting Report

AB	425
AVG	.205
OBP	.302
SLG	.294
HR	6

Full name Casey Robert Cook
Born 10/02/2002 in Atlanta, GA
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School North Carolina
Drafted in the 3rd round (103rd overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2024 (signed for $700,000).

View Draft Report

School: North Carolina
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.8
BA Grade: 40/High
Tools: Hit: 55. Power: 45. Run: 45. Field: 50. Arm: 45.

Cook played in only four games during his 2022 freshman season with North Carolina before a shoulder injury ended the rest of his campaign. Once he got healthy and on the field everyday, the 6-foot, 195-pound lefthanded-hitting outfielder proved to be the most advanced pure hitter on a strong offensive Tar Heels club. Cook hit well over .300 in both of his first full season, then jumped from three homers in 2023 to 18 homers in 2024 and is a career .324/.425/.508 hitter with a 17.4% strikeout rate and 11.9% walk rate. In some ways he’s the antithesis of teammate and likely first-rounder Vance Honeycutt. Where Honeycutt has huge physical tools and pure hitting questions, Cook has more solid-average or fringy tools but an extremely advanced hitting approach and consistent lefty swing. He sees the ball well out of the hand, makes a lot of contact and doesn’t chase too frequently, though changeups and curveballs gave him a bit of trouble at times this spring. Cook has fine raw power, but certainly took advantage of Chapel Hill’s lefty-friendly home park. He will need to be an above-average hitter to drive value because he’s likely not fast enough for center field and will need to play either left or right—with left being his most likely spot. Cook’s carrying tool is the most important one, but his upside is more limited and he’ll go as far as his pure hitting ability takes him.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 40/High.

Track Record: After a shoulder injury limited his freshman year to just four games, Cook used the next two seasons in Chapel Hill to establish himself as one of the more polished hitters on North Carolina’s roster. He also spent a summer in the Cape Cod League but scuffled with Yarmouth-Dennis. He clubbed 18 home runs in his junior season and was taken in the third round by the Rangers. He signed for $700,000 and reached Low-A in his pro debut.

Scouting Report: Cook is not the toolsiest player, but he’s a polished hitter with an advanced approach from the left side. Scouts on the amateur side noted he was somewhat vulnerable against spin and changeups and also believed his fringy power was amplified in college by metal bats and the lefty-friendly confines at UNC’s Boshamer Stadium. Cook is probably an average corner outfielder whose fringe-average arm would likely limit him to left field, but the Rangers believe he can play second base and got him 17 games of experience at the position at Low-A. He played two games there in his freshman year and five more in the CCBL.

The Future: A successful move to second base will relieve some of the pressure that would have been on his bat in a corner outfield spot. He should spend most of his 2025 season at the Class A levels.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 45.

Draft Prospects

School: North Carolina Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.8
BA Grade: 40/High
Tools: Hit: 55. Power: 45. Run: 45. Field: 50. Arm: 45.

Cook played in only four games during his 2022 freshman season with North Carolina before a shoulder injury ended the rest of his campaign. Once he got healthy and on the field everyday, the 6-foot, 195-pound lefthanded-hitting outfielder proved to be the most advanced pure hitter on a strong offensive Tar Heels club. Cook hit well over .300 in both of his first full season, then jumped from three homers in 2023 to 18 homers in 2024 and is a career .324/.425/.508 hitter with a 17.4% strikeout rate and 11.9% walk rate. In some ways he’s the antithesis of teammate and likely first-rounder Vance Honeycutt. Where Honeycutt has huge physical tools and pure hitting questions, Cook has more solid-average or fringy tools but an extremely advanced hitting approach and consistent lefty swing. He sees the ball well out of the hand, makes a lot of contact and doesn’t chase too frequently, though changeups and curveballs gave him a bit of trouble at times this spring. Cook has fine raw power, but certainly took advantage of Chapel Hill’s lefty-friendly home park. He will need to be an above-average hitter to drive value because he’s likely not fast enough for center field and will need to play either left or right—with left being his most likely spot. Cook’s carrying tool is the most important one, but his upside is more limited and he’ll go as far as his pure hitting ability takes him.