Sam Fuld

[JohnCub1]

I think Sam Fuld deserves some recognition for what he has done this year. After a terrible start, he is batting .283 before tonight's game with an OBP of .370. Most impressive to me though is his 33/25 BB/K ratio, not to mention his 9.29 K/100 AB. I don't know what kind of power he projects to have, but he does have 22 doubles this year. I would guess not much power, but any power would be a bonus because his value is in being a leadoff hitter. Anyone have any opinions on him?

[rawaction]

I figured he would start to hit soon. Kinda like Adam Greenberg. He will hit. He will take a walk. He'll put the ball in play. He'll hustle his tail off. He'll play better than average defense. He has no power to speak of. Right now, I think he projects as a backup CF, with a shot in the right organization to be a leadoff man and starter.

[1908]

I figured he would start to hit soon.

Agreed. His hurt his shoulder early in his Senior year and I don't think it's been right until recently.

[Laura]

There was a recent article about Sam Fuld in the Peoria Journal-Star that talked about his recovery from his shoulder injury.

 

On July 2, the PJ-Star[/url]"]Fuld didn't play after signing last summer. Instead, he rehabilitated a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder.

 

After instructional ball in the fall and his first spring as a pro, Fuld struggled to a .172 batting average in April.

 

Still, Chiefs manager Julio Garcia liked Fuld's contribution.

 

"He's an outstanding defensive outfielder," Chiefs manager Julio Garcia said of Fuld, who Baseball America rated as the top defensive player in the Cubs organization. "I try to preach to these guys that there's more to baseball than hitting. In Sam's case, he wasn't hitting as well he was used to but he was making nice plays."

 

Fuld lightened his grip on the bat, moved closer to the plate and worked on keeping his weight back. After hitting .279 in May, Fuld finished June on a 12-game hitting streak for a .321 average in the month.

[RyCubsFan]

There was a recent article about Sam Fuld in the Peoria Journal-Star that talked about his recovery from his shoulder injury.

 

On July 2, the PJ-Star[/url]"]Fuld didn't play after signing last summer. Instead, he rehabilitated a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder.

 

After instructional ball in the fall and his first spring as a pro, Fuld struggled to a .172 batting average in April.

 

Still, Chiefs manager Julio Garcia liked Fuld's contribution.

 

"He's an outstanding defensive outfielder," Chiefs manager Julio Garcia said of Fuld, who Baseball America rated as the top defensive player in the Cubs organization. "I try to preach to these guys that there's more to baseball than hitting. In Sam's case, he wasn't hitting as well he was used to but he was making nice plays."

 

Fuld lightened his grip on the bat, moved closer to the plate and worked on keeping his weight back. After hitting .279 in May, Fuld finished June on a 12-game hitting streak for a .321 average in the month.

 

 

So Fuld is rated higher defensively than Pie? :shock: That can't be right, can it?

[burnt out cubbie fan]

There was a recent article about Sam Fuld in the Peoria Journal-Star that talked about his recovery from his shoulder injury.

 

On July 2, the PJ-Star[/url]"]Fuld didn't play after signing last summer. Instead, he rehabilitated a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder.

 

After instructional ball in the fall and his first spring as a pro, Fuld struggled to a .172 batting average in April.

 

Still, Chiefs manager Julio Garcia liked Fuld's contribution.

 

"He's an outstanding defensive outfielder," Chiefs manager Julio Garcia said of Fuld, who Baseball America rated as the top defensive player in the Cubs organization. "I try to preach to these guys that there's more to baseball than hitting. In Sam's case, he wasn't hitting as well he was used to but he was making nice plays."

 

Fuld lightened his grip on the bat, moved closer to the plate and worked on keeping his weight back. After hitting .279 in May, Fuld finished June on a 12-game hitting streak for a .321 average in the month.

 

 

So Fuld is rated higher defensively than Pie? :shock: That can't be right, can it?

It isn't. I looked in my magazine when I saw that and Pie was rated as the best defensive outfielder. Here is a link to confirm it. link I don't know what they were looking at...

[Laura]

Maybe from the draft class? The Peoria Star-Journal has previously referred to BA's organizational draft class prospect ratings as overall organizational prospect ratings as if they're interchangeable (Gallagher was mentioned as having the best curveball in the system before, when BA reference was actually to the '04 draft class). It's easy to confuse. Edited July 16, 2005 by Laura

[1908]

Maybe from the draft class?

Just peaked at my 2005 Prospect Handbook and that's confirmed.

[Laura]

Thanks!

[craig]

Kinda like Adam Greenberg. He will hit. He will take a walk. He'll put the ball in play. He'll hustle his tail off. He'll play better than average defense. He has no power to speak of. Right now, I think he projects as a backup CF, with a shot in the right organization to be a leadoff man and starter.

 

The Greenberg analogy seems excellent. Both are small, both have little power, both are hustling fundamentally sound good-jump fielders albeit neither has the big arm or the great speed associated with gold-glove CFers. Both are guys who have hit for good average, but neither has hit .300 at any level in the pros. Both are similar age, Greenberg having turned 24 this spring and Fuld turning 24 this fall. Greenberg has the advantage that he bats lefty; Fuld is a righty, am I right about that? Obviusly Greenberg has the huge advantage that he's produced in high A and in AA and has gotten scouted favorably enough to have already been deemed worthy of big-leagues. Fuld may end up as promising, but he's only in low A and it remains to be seen if he'll be able to hit his way up.

 

Starting his pro career at 23 with 24th birthday this calendar year is not in Fuld's favor.

 

However, Fuld does have a potentially substantial advantage over Greenberg: he really is a contact guy. Greenberg has often K'd like a power hitter. Greenberg already has 53 K's in only 244 AA AB's, a 22% K-rate that isn't very good for a slugger, much less a mite like Greenberg. That kind of K-rate has been characteristic for Greenberg since his college days.

 

Fuld, by contrast, does look like a true-blue contact guy, with his <10% K-rate. His walks are fine, but not nearly the big-time asset they've been for Greenberg this year. If Fuld can maintain that kind of anti-K profile against better pitching, and perhaps make more of a point of working some walks, there's a chance he could be a better OBP-guy than Greenberg can, simply by virtue of the K-difference. Of course, perhaps greenberg K's more because he walks more, and the two are inseparable. Taking pitches to setup walks puts him in 1-2 counts. Taking a dozen 3-2 pitches that are three inches off the plate gives him 8 walks, but umps call four of them for strikeouts...

 

I did a quick check, and Fuld was still hitting only .196 as of May 23, which I chose as about half-way in games played to the current place. So if he's .275 now, and was .196 during the first 8 weeks or so, he must be hitting .350 or so over the last 8 weeks.

 

Overall, his BABIP is only .300. For a guy with his quickness down the line and his contact skill, it doesn't seem he's been especially lucky, and it's easy to figure he might hit for much, much higher BABIP in future.

[1908]

Greenberg has the advantage that he bats lefty; Fuld is a righty, am I right about that?

Nope. :wink:

[craig]

Greenberg has the advantage that he bats lefty; Fuld is a righty, am I right about that?

Nope. :wink:

 

Thanks, another lefty. Weird, Corey, Pie, Greenberg, Fuld all lefties.

[BigbadB]

Greenberg has the advantage that he bats lefty; Fuld is a righty, am I right about that?

Nope. :wink:

 

Thanks, another lefty. Weird, Corey, Pie, Greenberg, Fuld all lefties.

 

Isn't Bacon a lefty as well?

[RyCubsFan]

More props to Fuld: he was on base 4 times yesterday.

[CuseCubFan69]

Fuld lightened his grip on the bat, moved closer to the plate and worked on keeping his weight back. After hitting .279 in May, Fuld finished June on a 12-game hitting streak for a .321 average in the month.

 

It's amazing to me how many players grab/hold the bat the wrong way.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Greenberg has the advantage that he bats lefty; Fuld is a righty, am I right about that?

Nope. :wink:

 

Thanks, another lefty. Weird, Corey, Pie, Greenberg, Fuld all lefties.

 

Isn't Bacon a lefty as well?

 

Switch.

[Laura]

I think Sam Fuld deserves some recognition for what he has done this year. After a terrible start, he is batting .283 before tonight's game with an OBP of .370. Most impressive to me though is his 33/25 BB/K ratio, not to mention his 9.29 K/100 AB. I don't know what kind of power he projects to have, but he does have 22 doubles this year. I would guess not much power, but any power would be a bonus because his value is in being a leadoff hitter. Anyone have any opinions on him?

 

Update: Fuld's now hitting .299 with an OBP of .375. 45/40 BB/K, 9.8 K/100 AB.

 

He now leads the team with 30 doubles (4 triples). Harvey has 29 (2). Eric Patterson has 26 doubles (11 triples). I know some view triples as doubles + speed, so I listed both.

[T2E]

I think Sam Fuld deserves some recognition for what he has done this year. After a terrible start, he is batting .283 before tonight's game with an OBP of .370. Most impressive to me though is his 33/25 BB/K ratio, not to mention his 9.29 K/100 AB. I don't know what kind of power he projects to have, but he does have 22 doubles this year. I would guess not much power, but any power would be a bonus because his value is in being a leadoff hitter. Anyone have any opinions on him?

 

Update: Fuld's now hitting .299 with an OBP of .375. 45/40 BB/K, 9.8 K/100 AB.

 

He now leads the team with 30 doubles (4 triples). Harvey has 29 (2). Eric Patterson has 26 doubles (11 triples). I know some view triples as doubles + speed, so I listed both.

 

He's had a great year. Now let's see him do it at an age appropriate level.

[Laura]

He's had a great year. Now let's see him do it at an age appropriate level.

 

True. I'm still intrigued by the stark contrast between the first half and the second half of his season.

[1908]

I think Sam Fuld deserves some recognition for what he has done this year. After a terrible start, he is batting .283 before tonight's game with an OBP of .370. Most impressive to me though is his 33/25 BB/K ratio, not to mention his 9.29 K/100 AB. I don't know what kind of power he projects to have, but he does have 22 doubles this year. I would guess not much power, but any power would be a bonus because his value is in being a leadoff hitter. Anyone have any opinions on him?

 

Update: Fuld's now hitting .299 with an OBP of .375. 45/40 BB/K, 9.8 K/100 AB.

 

He now leads the team with 30 doubles (4 triples). Harvey has 29 (2). Eric Patterson has 26 doubles (11 triples). I know some view triples as doubles + speed, so I listed both.

 

He's had a great year. Now let's see him do it at an age appropriate level.

Also worth noting that he's had a great year despite having a bum shoulder at the start of it.

[Laura]

"I told him how proud I was," Keller said of Fuld's continual progression after a horrendous offensive start.

 

"You talk to guys about what you think they should do, and sometimes guys only go halfway," Keller said. "It's easy to stay in your comfort zone. I've been talking to a lot of players about the whole comfort-zone issue. When you hit, you feel a certain way all the time.

 

"Since last year in instructional league, I've been telling Sammy, 'You have to make some changes, and the only way you're going to feel it is by exaggerating your swing plane, exaggerating movement to the point where you feel different.' He is one guy in the system who did it. He went the whole way." ....

 

Throughout instructional ball last fall and into this year's spring training before Fuld's first professional season, Keller worked on making several adjustments to the former Stanford standout's swing.

 

Fuld moved closer to the plate and kept his weight back longer. Perhaps most importantly, Fuld changed a loopy swing that had a plane Keller compared to Nike's swoosh symbol.

 

After hitting .172 in April, Fuld's quicker, more compact swing began paying off. He hit .279 in May, .321 in June, .340 in July and .324 in August.

 

Here's how Fuld finished:

G    AB   R  H   2B  3B HR  RBI TB  BB-SO  SB/CS  AVG  OBP  SLG
125  443  82 133 32  6  5   37  192 50-44  18/11  .300 .377 .433 

 

The 32 doubles were most on the team (Ryan Harvey had 30); the franchise record is 38 (David Kim, 1998).

[craig]

" He hit .. .321 in June, .340 in July and .324 in August.

 

That's some good hitting, for a guy who also takes walks. Also has a miniscule K-rate.

 

Will be interesting to see how he does next year in high-minors. But seems to me that if a guy a) IsoD's like Fuld does, and b) K's as little as Fuld has thus far, then if he can sustain a decent BABIP (as would seem reasonable for a decent runner) he ought to be able to sustain a decent BA and OBP.

 

Suppose he can hit 5 HR per 500 AB, and BABIP at .320, and IsoD at .070. If he can keep his K-rate at 14% (a shade under 10% this year), then he ought to be able to hit .282, and OBP at .352. That's allowing a substantial jump in K's as the result of facing higher pitching, and a diminished IsoD. The only thing that would be sustaining was his HR power and his BABIP.

 

If he could keep at the 5 HR/500AB, BABIP at .320, IsoD at .070, but K at only 10% (this year), then he could hit .295 and OBP at .365.

 

I think he's got a shot to be a pretty good performer next year. My view is that guys who are true-blue contact hitters, and rarely K even though they do walk a fair bit, guys like that are less likely to get blitzed by higher-level pitching. If Harvey's K's jump by 40%, he's K'ing a deathly 41% of his AB. If Fuld's K's jump by 40%, it's still less than 14%. I don't think he'll be that badly blitzed by promotion, unless his swing goes to pot again.

 

Problem is, where will he play? Daytona's CF is entitled to promotion to WTenn. Fuld is obviously entitled to a promotion to WTenn. I guess he'll need to play corner outfield there.

[ChiefsVoice]

I dont think we will see Sam jump two spots. Unless he has a phenomenal spring, I expect to see Fuld and Harvey make up 2/3's of the Daytona outfield in 2006...just my opinion.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I dont think we will see Sam jump two spots. Unless he has a phenomenal spring, I expect to see Fuld and Harvey make up 2/3's of the Daytona outfield in 2006...just my opinion.

 

He'd only be skipping one level, and he's going to be 24 for all of next season. He needs to start moving quickly. Harvey on the other hand is only 21, he has much more time on his side than Sam.

[ChiefsVoice]

 

He'd only be skipping one level, and he's going to be 24 for all of next season. He needs to start moving quickly. Harvey on the other hand is only 21, he has much more time on his side than Sam.

 

I guess I just dont agree that he has to move quickly. He can easily start 2006 at Daytona and end at West Tenn. This was just his 1st year of pro ball. Same with Eric. There is a huge MYTH on this board and elsewhere that the MWL is the same as college ball and that is just a joke. Ask anyone who has played NCAA baseball and they will tell you that the competition at Low A is a lot better. Going 1 step at a time is fine and better than jumping someone to AA having them struggle, sending them back down to Daytona and killing their confidence and wasting a year.