Brewers' 2016 first-round pick set to join Nationals' coaching staff next season

Back in 2016, the Milwaukee Brewers selected toolsy outfielder Corey Ray out of the University of Louisville with the 5th overall pick in the MLB Draft. Ray was an intriguing draft prospect who put together an impressive junior year at Louisville before deciding to take his talents to professional baseball. In his final year of college ball, Ray slashed .310/.388/.545 with 15 homers and 44 stolen bases, all while playing stellar defense in the outfield.

With a strong glove and impressive baserunning skills, Ray's floor made him an easy first-round selection by the Brewers' front office, which had recently been turned over to David Stearns by long-time GM Doug Melvin. However, Ray's time in the minor leagues did not go as he hoped it would, with a combination of injuries and underperformance causing him to rise much slower through Milwaukee's farm system than the organization expected.

Ray's best season in the Brewers' organization came in 2018, while he was playing for the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers. He flashed both the power and speed that made him a first-round pick just two years prior, slugging 27 homers and collecting 37 stolen bases in the pitcher-friendly Southern League. A promotion to Triple-A during an injury-riddled 2019 season had Brewers fans hopeful of Ray's ability to crack the big-league roster in the near future, but then came the cancellation of the 2020 season, and with it a stalling of Ray's progress.

When he returned in 2021, Ray was promoted to the big league roster at the end of April, but appeared in just one game before he was sent to Triple-A. In his lone MLB appearance, Ray walked and scored a run, but ultimately came away from his three plate appearances hitless. He continued to compete in the Brewers' minor league system in 2022, but called it a career after the campaign came to an end.

Now, Ray is back in the big leagues, but this time as a coach. Just moments ago, Ray himself announced that he has accepted a job as the Washington Nationals' first-base coach, a role where his elite baserunning ability as a player will no doubt come in handy.

Former Brewers first-round pick, Corey Ray, named Washington Nationals' next first-base coach

If you've paid close attention to the Brewers’ last two first-base coaches, you may notice a trend. Both Quintin Berry, who now coaches third base for the Chicago Cubs, and Julio Borbón, the Crew's current first-base coach, excelled in one specific area of the game during their otherwise unspectacular big-league careers: baserunning. Their expertise led the Brewers to having one of the best base-stealing groups in all of baseball while they were manning the first-base coaches’ box.

The Nationals are taking a similar approach, adding a first-base coach who was an impressive baserunner himself during his playing career. Despite injuries affecting much of his minor league career, Ray averaged nearly 30 stolen bases per 162 games in the Brewers' farm system, and was an excellent base stealer throughout his college career as well.

It's an exciting opportunity for Ray, who had been coaching in the Chicago Cubs' minor league system prior to accepting his new role with the Nationals. At just 31 years old, it's fair to say that Ray's playing career didn't play out exactly as he hoped it would, but he still has an opportunity to impact a major league squad, and instill the wisdom that he gained throughout his time as a player in the next generation of big leaguers.