Colton Ledbetter, 21, signed with the Tampa Bay Rays last week, receiving a $1,297,500 signing bonus.By Rubin E. Grant
Colton Ledbetter has gone to Florida, but he’s not on a beach vacation, or a fishing trip or a scuba diving trip.
Ledbetter is in the Sunshine State to begin his professional baseball career.
The Tampa Bay Rays selected the former Spain Park outfielder in the second round of the Major League Baseball draft two weeks ago. He was the 55th player taken.
Ledbetter was one of several players attending the draft at Lumen Field in Seattle, home of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, during MLB All-Star Week.
“Being at the draft was an experience of a lifetime,” Ledbetter said in a phone interview. “It’s something that I’ll be able to tell my kids and my grandkids.”
Ledbetter, 21, signed with the Rays last week, receiving a $1,297,500 signing bonus. He was sent to Sarasota, Florida, where the Rays’ rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate is based, to get acclimated to pro ball.
“I’m superexcited to be able to get this opportunity to start a new journey in my baseball career,” Ledbetter said. “I’ve been dreaming about this opportunity since I first started playing baseball.”
Ledbetter graduated from Spain Park in 2020. During his senior season, he had a .414 batting average with four home runs, 18 runs and 14 RBIs before the season ended because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 6-foot-2, 202-pound lefty-hitting Ledbetter spent his first two seasons in college at Samford. In 2021, he was named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year by Perfect Game. The following year, he was an All-Conference second-team selection by the SoCon coaches and a first-team pick by the media.
Ledbetter transferred to Mississippi State for his junior year this season to receive more exposure by playing in the Southeastern Conference. He hit .320 with 12 homes runs, 52 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. He also drew 47 walks while striking out only 16 times. In SEC play, he hit .276 with six home runs.
He played center field for most of the season and finished with a .966 fielding percentage.
Ledbetter was one of the top prospects in the draft. He was ranked 49th in the MLB Pipeline prospect rankings among 2023 draft-eligible players. According to a pre-draft scouting report, Ledbetter “was known for making consistent hard contact and controlling the strike zone, and while his arm might eventually land him in left field, he’s athletic enough to handle center or right.”
The Rays were happy to land Ledbetter.
“I think you’ve got patience and power,” Rays senior director of amateur scouting Chuck Ricci said of Ledbetter. “You’ve got defensive versatility. I mean, he can play all three outfield spots. He works the count. He can take a walk, but he’s got really good pull-side power.”
Spain Park baseball coach Will Smith is elated to see his former player get the opportunity to play professionally.
“As a high school coach, when you have those type of star players, you want to see them become successful and fulfill their dreams,” Smith said. “I couldn’t be happier for Colton. He’s a great kid and is very talented.
“He wasn’t only a great player for us, but a great teammate. Being around him, you wouldn’t believe he was a superstar because he’s so humble.”
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