- Image via Wikipedia
The Mets fourth round selection, Cory Vaughn, is heading to the Single A affiliate Brooklyn Cyclones. Cory has a strong pedigree of baseball in the family and the frame to prove it. Cory’s father, Greg Vaughn, was a feared slugger for the Padres and set their single season home run mark at 50. He is also related to a player that Mets fans may not want to remember in Mo Vaughn.
Nevertheless, the Vaughns of years past have a track record of launching tape measure shots into the seats. Cory’s size (6’3 230) certainly gives us reason to believe that Coney Island natives could soon be catching home run balls from the top of the famed Cyclone coaster. Another reason to be optimistic is the coaching. Tony Gwynn, one of the best hitters of our or any generation, coached the young slugger during his tenure at San Diego State.
Vaughn’s development will rely on a few key factors. Overall, his raw ability and athleticism are exciting, but some of his draw backs could stop him from reaching the show. Cory has an extremely long swing which hurts his ability to make contact. When he does connect, outfielders are just hoping to get the ball to the cutoff man in a timely fashion. This long swing could mean high strikeout totals and a continued inability to consistently hit the breaking ball down and away. He has rare speed for a player of his size. His ability to steal bases and run out ground balls could become more of a threat with additional contact at the plate.
We’ll be sure to keep an eye on Cory’s massive presence in Brooklyn this season. At the very least, Cory may have some tips on how to approach his former San Diego State teammate Stephen Strasburg at the plate (if there are any).
The Mets Report 