Corey Ray Makes Major League Debut

ZEBULON - Former Carolina Mudcats outfielder, Corey Ray made his Major League Baseball debut with the Brewers in his hometown of Chicago against the Cubs on Saturday, April 25. Ray played for the Mudcats during the 2017 season and was most recently playing at the Brewers’ alternate training site.

Ray, 26, entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the fifth and earned a walk before later scoring in that same inning, tying the game at 2-2. The Brewers went on to win 4-3 and Ray wound up going 0-for-2 with a walk, a ground out and a strikeout in his first Major League game.

A former first round pick (fifth overall) by the Brewers in 2016, Ray hit .238/.311/.367 over 112 games with the Mudcats in 2017. He also totaled 29 doubles, four triples, seven homers and 48 RBI. Ray went 2-for-5 with a triple in his Mudcats debut on April 16, 2017. Later that season, also against the Keys, Ray came through in the clutch with a walk-off double on May 7, 2017. Ray was a Carolina League All-Star in 2017 and represented the Brewers in the 2017 MLB Futures Game.

Corey. Ray. Game. Winner. The @FutureIs_Bright Indeed!
Mudcats 5, Keys 4 (10)#MudcatsFUN #Brewers pic.twitter.com/5csxJAUhMp

— Carolina Mudcats (@CarolinaMudcats) May 7, 2017

Ray was promoted to Double-A Biloxi in 2018 and would go on to become the Southern League MVP after hitting .239/.323/.477 with a .801 OPS, 32 doubles, 27 home runs, 74 RBI and 37 stolen bases over 135 games.

Ray is the first former Mudcat to debut in MLB this season. Additionally, Ray is the ninth player from the 2017 Mudcats to reach the Majors. Other 2017 Mudcats to reach the big leagues include OF Trent Grisham, RHP Jordan Yamamoto, RHP Freddy Peralta, RHP Corbin Burnes, RHP Eric Hanhold, INF Isan Diaz, OF Monte Harrison and RHP Cody Ponce.

71% of the earth is covered by water, the other 29% is covered by @FutureIs_Bright. #MudcatsFUN pic.twitter.com/H4bPf6uxh3

— Carolina Mudcats (@CarolinaMudcats) July 12, 2017