Corey Bass became the second member of the 2016 Windy City ThunderBolts to join a Major League organization when he was signed to a contract by the Miami Marlins.
Bass was a midseason Frontier League all-star in his lone season with the ThunderBolts. He played 80 games for the Bolts, including 71 behind the plate and was selected as the starting catcher for the All-Star Game.
Bass will be getting his second chance at affiliated ball when he reports to the Marlins. He was a 20th round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2013 and spent two seasons in their system, rising as high as Class A Advanced Clearwater.
After two years in independent ball, Bass returns to the affiliated ranks as a different player. In 2016, he set career highs in batting average (.256), on-base percentage (.359) and slugging percentage (.459). He hit 11 home runs after knocking out just two in his first three years combined.
His biggest leap came defensively as he led the Frontier League by catching 44 percent of attempted base stealers after gunning down only 22 percent in his first three seasons. His 2016 caught stealing percentage was the best the league had seen since 2013.
Bass joins pitcher Zak Wasserman (Yankees) as 2016 ThunderBolts to be signed by big league organizations. He is the first ThunderBolt to be signed by the Marlins since Bobby O’Neill in 2012 and the first Windy City catcher to get picked up since Nick Trzesniak was signed by the Rangers in 2007.
