Tampa Bay Rays: Dylan Cozens an intriguing name in the 60-man pool

The Tampa Bay Rays have announced their list of 60 players that will be available for use during the 60-game season. We take a look at some intriguing names buried on the list.

Tampa Bay Rays: Today, we are going to look at some of the lesser-known names on the list that could end up being surprise contributors to the big-league club. We start with Dylan Cozens.

Tampa Bay Rays – Dylan Cozens, OF

Dylan Cozens debuted with the Phillies in 2018, playing in just 26 games. He appeared in just one game, making one plate appearance last season. He failed to make a positive impression in his short major-league stint.

What is intriguing is his track record in the minor leagues. Cozens showed a propensity for power at the age of 20 in 2014 when hit 16 homers in single-A and then went to the Australian League and clobbered another eight homers in just 161 at-bats. To sweeten the deal, Cozens stole 34 bases between the two leagues.

He broke out in a big way in 2016 at the age of 22 in Double-A when he smashed 40 homers, 125 RBI, 21 stolen bases, and 38 doubles in just 134 games. He slashed .276/.350/.591 that season.

That season saw Cozens break records and collect enough awards to fill a trophy case. He even had some scouts saying he was a 30-homer player in the major leagues.

The concern was his 186 strikeouts in 586 plate appearances. Cozens struggled in Triple-A the following season posting a .710 OPS for Lehigh Valley but he still managed to clobber 27 homers in 135 games.

Between 2016 and 2016 Cozens had 67 home runs in 269 games.

He was able to improve his numbers in Triple-A the following season by posting a .873 OPS and hitting 21 homers in just 88 games.

Cozens is a dual-threat who boasts 134 career homers and 106 stolen bases in the minor leagues. He’s going to strike out a lot. His final season in Triple-A resulted in an abominable 36% strikeout rate.

His power/speed combo is definitely intriguing. He has proven he is completely capable of taking his fair share of walks. Cozens could provide a nice bat off the bench against right-handed pitching. In 2018, the lefty posted a .970 OPS against RHP and a miserable .508  against LHP.

His power potential provides an intriguing name deep on the list.