Coley faced plenty of adversity in his college career at Rhode Island, striking out in more than half his at-bats as a freshman in 2019, losing most of the 2020 season to the pandemic, missing all of 2022 because of a school credit snafu and half of 2023 after breaking his jaw in a collision at first base. He homered eight times and stole six bases in 25 games last spring, graduated with a mechanical engineering degree and signed with the Marlins for $50,000 as a 17th-rounder. He made his pro debut by batting .265/.395/.480 in Single-A and helping Jupiter win the Florida State League title.
Coley's bat speed and strength rank among the best in the system and create plus raw power. A right-handed hitter, he looks to make the most of it by launching balls to his pull side, though his approach also yields strikeouts and rolled-over groundballs. More raw than most 23-year-olds because he had only 305 at-bats in five years in college, he could do a lot of damage if he learns to be more selective.
He didn't run much at Rhode Island but Coley possesses plus speed and swiped nine bases in 10 tries during his 33-game pro debut. His quickness allows him to cover plenty of ground of center field and he has solid arm strength that could improve a tick if he cleans up his throwing motion. Besides his tools, he draws raves for his intelligence and work ethic.
