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Former SF Giants top pitching prospect returns from shoulder surgery

While Seth Corry is no longer the top pitching prospect in the SF Giants farm system, the southpaw is back in action after a lengthy rehab from surgery.

Marc Delucchi

Former SF Giants top pitching prospect returns from shoulder surgery
Former SF Giants top pitching prospect returns from shoulder surgery /
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While it's been some time since left-handed pitcher Seth Corry (Just missed the Giants preseason list) was the top pitching prospect in the SF Giants farm system. However, the team's third-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft has finally returned to the field after a lengthy rehab from shoulder surgery. Corry underwent the operation early last season, and after more than a year, he has made a trio of appearances rehabbing at the Arizona Complex League.

Dennis Pelfrey talks with SF Giants prospect Seth Corry in 2021.
Dennis Pelfrey talks with SF Giants prospect Seth Corry in 2021 :: Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Since Corry's return, the 24-year-old southpaw has dominated Rookie League competition. Corry has racked up 12 strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched without allowing a run to score. However, Corry's struggles with control have continued. He has issued five walks in his three appearances and has yet to complete an outing without surrendering a free pass.

The Giants signed Corry away from a commitment to BYU with a $1 million signing bonus, and he quickly found success in the professional ranks. In 2019, Corry's first taste of full-season ball, he racked up 172 strikeouts in 122.2 innings pitched with a tolerable 58 walks and an incredible 1.76 ERA as a teenager. He was even more dominant as the season went on, posting a 0.99 ERA with 86 strikeouts and just 16 walks in 63.2 innings pitched over his final 12 starts. Heading into the offseason, Corry was the clear top pitching prospect in the organization and a borderline top-100 prospect in the minors.

While some prospects were able to bounce back from the canceled 2020 minor-league season with ease, Corry was seemingly unable to recover. When Corry was promoted to High-A at the start of the 2021 season, his walk rates skyrocketed and inhibited him from limiting runs. In 21 career starts at High-A, Corry racked up 101 strikeouts and 66 walks in 70 innings pitched with a 5.91 ERA.

Corry will presumably return to High-A when his rehab in Rookie Ball ends. If he is unable to limit his walk rate, it would not be surprising to see the Giants shift him to the bullpen to see if that can help him take a step forward.

However, it's easy to see why the Giants have not given up on Corry's potential as a starting pitcher. At his best, Corry flashed three potential big-league pitches. Both his curveball and changeup showed plus potential alongside a solid low-to-mid 90s fastball. If he can even develop 40-grade command, Corry's arsenal of pitches might be good enough to make him a viable four-starter.

While Giants fans may have forgotten about left-handed pitching prospect Corry, the former top pitching prospect in the organization has finally returned to the field after undergoing shoulder surgery. The SF Giants farm system has had a great season in 2023, and it could get even better if Seth Corry can rekindle some of his previous success.

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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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