Corey Wimberly facts for kids

Corey Leshaad Wimberly, born on October 26, 1983, is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He played as an infielder and outfielder. After his playing days, he became a coach. Today, he works for the New York Mets in their minor league system. He helps players as an outfield coach and teaches them about baserunning for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets team.

Corey Wimberly played baseball in the minor leagues for ten seasons. He spent four of those seasons at the Triple-A level, which is just one step below Major League Baseball. He stopped playing after the 2016 season. Corey was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 170 pounds. He was a switch hitter, meaning he could bat from both the left and right sides of the plate. He threw the ball with his right hand. After his playing career, Corey started coaching with the Boston Red Sox organization. He was one of only a few African American managers in minor league baseball in 2018.

Playing Baseball

College Baseball Days

Corey Wimberly went to Alcorn State University in Mississippi. There, he played college baseball for the school's team, the Braves. He was a very good player right from his first year in 2004. He won several awards, including being named an All-American freshman. He was also recognized as the best freshman and new player in his conference.

Corey had amazing batting averages in college. In 2004, he hit for an average of .420 in 42 games. The next year, in 2005, he did even better, hitting .462 in 38 games. This showed he was a very talented hitter.

Starting Professional Baseball

The Colorado Rockies picked Corey Wimberly in the sixth round of the 2005 Major League Baseball draft. This meant they wanted him to play for their team. He signed a contract with the Rockies and received a signing bonus of $145,000. Corey played in the Rockies' minor league system from 2005 to 2008. He reached the Double-A level, which is a high level in the minor leagues.

In 2009, Corey was traded to the Oakland Athletics. He spent most of that year playing in Double-A, where he hit .296 in 70 games. In 2010, he played the entire season in Triple-A for the Athletics. He continued to hit well, with a .284 batting average in 135 games.

Moving to New Teams

Corey Wimberly was traded again in December 2010 to the Indianapolis Indians. This team was the Triple-A affiliate for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2011, he played 56 games for Indianapolis, hitting .238. He had to spend some time off the field due to injuries. In November 2011, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.

In December 2011, Corey signed with the New York Mets. He was sent to their Triple-A team, the Buffalo Bisons. He played 39 games for Buffalo and hit an impressive .301. Again, he spent almost two months on the disabled list because of injuries. In November 2012, he became a free agent once more.

Later Playing Years

In April 2013, Corey joined the Gwinnett Braves, the Triple-A team for the Atlanta Braves. He played 25 games there, hitting .234. The Braves released him at the end of May. In June, he moved to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, a Double-A team for the Cincinnati Reds. He played 59 games for Pensacola and hit .260. In November 2013, he became a free agent for the third time.

In December 2013, Corey signed with the Minnesota Twins. He was assigned to their Double-A team, the New Britain Rock Cats. During the 2014 season, he hit .252 in 72 games for New Britain. He also played in some games in the Gulf Coast League while recovering from another injury.

Overall Playing Stats

Corey Wimberly played 10 seasons in the minor leagues. In 820 games, he had a batting average of .289. He hit 12 home runs and had 253 RBIs (runs batted in). He was a versatile player, meaning he could play many different positions. He played at all infield positions except first base, and he also played in all outfield positions.

Corey was known for his speed on the bases. He stole 50 or more bases in a season three times! One of his best years for stolen bases was in 2008, when he stole 59 bases for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers. He finished his playing career in the Mexican League with the Leones de Yucatán in 2015 and 2016. He continued to hit well, with batting averages of .340 and .338 in those seasons.

Coaching Career

Coaching for the Boston Red Sox

After he stopped playing, Corey Wimberly started his coaching career with the Boston Red Sox organization in 2017. His first coaching job was as an assistant manager for the Single-A Greenville Drive team. In January 2018, Corey became the manager of the Red Sox's Low-A team, the Lowell Spinners. The team finished that season with 37 wins and 38 losses.

In January 2019, Corey was promoted to manager of the High-A team, the Salem Red Sox. They had a record of 67 wins and 70 losses. He was set to manage Salem again in 2020, but that season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021, Corey was promoted again, this time to manage the Double-A team, the Portland Sea Dogs. The team had a strong season with 67 wins and 47 losses. In February 2022, Corey was named the minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator for the Red Sox. This meant he would help teach players across all their minor league teams about playing the outfield and running the bases.

Coaching for the New York Mets

On February 5, 2025, the New York Mets hired Corey Wimberly. He joined their organization to be the outfield coach and baserunning coordinator for their Triple-A team, the Syracuse Mets.

Managerial Record

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