Player Profile

Corey Patterson

by Marc Normandin

Sifting through the remaining free agents shows us that the available options are mostly part-time players, guys coming off of disappointing campaigns, or Barry Bonds. It's not clear which non-Bonds classification Corey Patterson belongs to yet, considering some of the seasons he's had in the past are on both the positive and negative ends of the production spectrum. Is Patterson still capable of a few more productive seasons, or is he more likely to be a speedy fourth outfielder from here on out?

Donald Corey Patterson, the son of former NFL defensive back Don Patterson, attended Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Georgia where he was named a Second Team High School All-American outfielder in 1997 and a First Team High School All-American outfielder in 1998. He helped to lead his team to the Georgia state championship in his senior year, hitting .528 in 38 games with 22 homers and 38 steals.

The Chicago Cubs would select him with their first rounder of the 1998 amateur draft, making Patterson the third overall pick. The lefty wouldn't sign until mid-September of that year, so his debut came in 1999 for Single-A Lansing:


Year Team        AB   AVG/ OBP/ SLG  XBH%   ISO  2B+3B   BB%    K%
1999 Lansing(A) 475  .320/.358/.592   47%  .272   52     4.9%  16.7%

Considering he was only 19 and this was his professional debut, Patterson's season is pretty impressive. He hit for a high average with tons of power while stealing 33 bases at a 79 percent success rate. He led the Midwest League in slugging and took home Prospect of the Year honors and Top Prospect honors from Baseball America after the season. The most glaring issue with Patterson was, of course, his plate discipline. He walked in less than five percent of his plate appearances, which might work out at Low-A but will become problematic as you move up through the system. His .357 BABIP contributed to his lofty batting average as well, though BABIP figures are higher the lower in the minors you play.

Patterson's next stop would be Double-A, where his numbers would take a hit:


Year Team              AB   AVG/ OBP/ SLG  XBH%   ISO  2B+3B   BB%    K%
2000 W. Tennessee(AA) 444  .261/.338/.491   46%  .230   31     8.9%  22.7%

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MORE BY MARC NORMANDIN 2008-01-30 - Player Profile: James Shields 2008-01-23 - BP Fantasy Beat: Middle Infield Review 2008-01-16 - BP Fantasy Beat: Third Base Review 2008-01-09 - Player Profile: Corey Patterson 2008-01-02 - BP Fantasy Beat: First Base Review 2007-12-19 - BP Fantasy Beat: Park Effects 2007-12-12 - Player Profile: Mark Teahen More...	MORE PLAYER PROFILE 2008-09-04 - Player Profile: Ryan Ludwick 2008-06-28 - Player Profile: Mike Gonzalez 2008-01-30 - Player Profile: James Shields 2008-01-09 - Player Profile: Corey Patterson 2007-12-12 - Player Profile: Mark Teahen 2007-11-26 - Player Profile: Carlos Silva 2007-11-19 - Player Profile: Kyle Lohse More...