How Acquired
Cory was drafted by the Braves in the eighth round of the 2023 MLB Draft and signed for $47,500.
What Were Expectations?
There were few expectations for Cory as he entered the season with just one full season in his belt. That said, Cory was leveraged quite a bit during spring training thanks to his unique delivery and put himself on the map just a bit. 2025 Results It was overall a very solid season for Cory, appearing in 34 games and pitching 49 innings between two levels. The first half
of the season he spent with the High-A Rome Emperors where he appeared in 26 games and had a spectacular 1.75 ERA, and 2.25 FIP. He limited walks quite well, with a walk rate that sat at 2.50 per 9, and struck out a rotund 10 batters per 9. If you were not able to get on base via walk, you were not going to find much success with the bat as he allowed just a .182 batting average against and a 70% LOB%. He was rewarded with a promotion to Double-A Columbus where he appeared in 8 games and had a 10.38 K/9, saw his walk rate jump up to 4.85 per 9 but still had a 3.46 ERA. His strong season led to his addition to the Arizona Fall League.
What Went Right?
Pretty much everything went right for Cory in 2025. He got a lot of looks from important people during Spring Training, and played well throughout the season. His unique pitching style does aide in his numbers, especially at the lower levels, but he pitched well throughout the entire season. He located his four seam fastball quite well in the upper third, and was able to use his slider as a whiff generating pitch.
What Went Wrong?
Little went wrong for Cory, he pitched well throughout the season. He got roughed up his second game after being promoted to Double-A (1IP 2H 4R 3ER 2BB 1K), but responded well in his final six games.
2026 Outlook
Cory will be entering the season at the age of 26, which makes the season particularly important for Cory. He will also be Rule 5 eligible and with his good strikeout and low walk totals, along with his unique delivery absolutely make him a viable candidate for selection for a team that is looking for potential unique relief pitching options. Cory put himself on the map with his showing in Spring Training last year, so there will be a few more people keeping an eye out.
