SF Giants re-sign former top pitching prospect to minor-league deal

The SF Giants have re-signed left-handed pitcher Seth Corry, who was once the top pitching prospect in the organization, to a minor league contract.

The SF Giants have re-signed left-handed pitching prospect Seth Corry to a minor-league contract, according to the league's official transactions page. Corry was drafted by the Giants in the third round of the 2017 MLB Draft and was once a consensus top-10 prospect in the organization. However, a combination of the COVID-pandemic, stalled command, and injuries led Corry's development to stall before reaching the upper minors.

High-A manager Dennis Pelfrey (left) talks with SF Giants prospect Seth Corry. (2021) :: Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Corry has spent his entire career with the Giants organization. The lefty was out early in the season as he recovered from shoulder surgery, but he returned to the field during the summer. Corry finished the season with a 5.03 ERA across 34 innings pitched (16 appearances) with 52 strikeouts and 18 walks between Rookie Ball, Single-A, and High-A. His strikeout stuff and struggles with control were right in line with pre-injury trends.

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. After just two appearances in 2022, Corry's season ended with a severe shoulder injury that would require surgery and keep him out for most of the next two seasons.

It's easy to see why the Giants have not given up on Corry's potential. 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 or top-flight reliever.

While Giants fans may have forgotten about Corry, the former top pitching prospect in the organization is returning to the organization on a minor-league deal. Still only 25, it's far from out of the question that Seth Corry could rekindle his prospect status and find his way to the SF Giants pitching staff.