2015 Draft Profile - RHP - Carson Fulmer - Vanderbilt - updated 6-16

Kendall Rogers ‏@KendallRogersPG  Jun 16

By the way, how does that #Vandy rotation for 2015 look right now? Carson Fulmer, Walker Buehler, Tyler Ferguson. (gulp)

6-4-14  -  Mack  -  We seem to always be talking about Vanderbilt pitching.

Next one up is 6-0 RHP Carson Fulmer, who is a converted reliever. No one likes a starter under 6-2 but they probably will learn to live with his fastball that has been clocked up to 98 this season. And thgat's not even his best pitch (slider). We'll follow him through the NCAA tourney and will post up his 2014 stats as soon as the season ends.

Draft 2012 – Marcus Stroman, Adam Brett-Walker, Carson Fulmer, Carlos Correa, Ryan Normoyle

Marcus Stroman / RHP / Duke – Stroman doesn’t have the size or command to start, but a plus 90′s fastball and a devastating curveball are good enough that the Blue Devil right-hander will likely be gone by the end of day one. Stroman was unreal this summer for Team USA, and anyone looking for quick gratification from their pick would be wise to target Stroman. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2011/12/top-twelve-college-pitchers/

Adam Brett-Walker — 6’-5”, OF/1B, Jacksonville - One of the top power hitters in the draft, Walker hit .409 with 13 home runs and 73 RBI over 61 games as a sophomore in 2011. Has a long swing that leads to a lot of strikeouts, but he isn’t  afraid to take a walk either. Struggled at the Cape Cod League hitting .216 with 56 strikeouts over 38 games. Still, at 6’-5” and 220 lbs, his power and hitting ability will draw a lot of interest come draft time. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/

It's not typically a good idea to typecast a high school pitcher as a future closer or setup man, but Carson Fulmer's collection of skills on the mound could point him in that direction. Not that anyone has to make that call just yet, but Fulmer's plus fastball, his delivery and his makeup might fill well in the back end of a bullpen. Strong and durable, he has a fastball that can touch 96 mph. He combines that with a tight and quick slider that has good bite, especially when he keeps it down in the zone. It's an out pitch for him at times. Fulmer does have a changeup which can be deceptive when he keeps it down, though he's not consistent in doing so. Fulmer has a maximum effort delivery, and aggressively goes after hitters, perhaps the biggest reason he looks like a reliever to some. That can be decided later, of course. His arm strength and mound presence should have him in many teams' sights as June rolls around. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2012/

http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2011/12/top-twelve-high-school-position-players/#more-602   Carlos Correa / SS / Puerto Rican Baseball Academy (PR): There’s no doubt that Correa’s a shortstop, and he should be able to be above-average offensively for the position. His commitment to Vanderbilt is rumored to be strong, however, and while his work ethic and baseball smarts are considerable, the approach does need work. It’d be no surprise if the right-handed hitter is considerably higher as the season progresses, but right now this feels like the safe ranking.

Ryan Normoyle   Elmira Pioneers of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League   Washington (MD) College   Senior   SS   Profile  6-2/190 pounds   From Mt. Laurel, NJ   Attended Lenape High School   Bats left   Throws Right  Synopsis of  Summer Season   Ryan was one of the best middle-infielders in the PGCBL this summer. He was tied for the league-lead with a .379 batting average in 177 at-bats. He also finished first in the league with 67 hits this summer.   He scored 35 runs and was fifth in the league with 34 runs batted in. He also hit 9 doubles this summer for the Pioneers.  He showed that he can steal a base (12) and isn't afraid to take a walk (14).  He was named both an All-Star and was named to the All-League First Team

Draft 2012: - Christian Jones, A.J. Kennedy, Mathew Crownover, Mark Appel, Carson Fulmer

Christian Jones:


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Christian Jones, Oregon, 6’3 195, strong armed lefty from H 3/4 to 3/4 slot, fb up to 93, most are 90 with some sink when down, arm side run and command is ok, tends to throws lots of pitches, nibbles way too much. Could be early round guy with good fall and spring.


A.J. Kennedy:


8-12-11: - http://www.prospectwire.com/pw/article.php?id=290  - The other catcher who did some things I liked was A.J. Kennedy (6'0" 180, R/R, Anaheim, CA). The one thing Kennedy has that the other two catchers don't is a plus arm and it is a legitimate plus arm. I tend to think his catching/receiving actions behind the plate are a bit too showy for my tastes and think he could certainly quiet down some of that stuff because his arm stands out plenty well. He was 1.91 in the game and was below 1.90 between innings and that plays. Kennedy struggled with the bat a bit due to a swing that gets too long but if he can figure out a way to shorten that up, be happy making hard contact and hitting for some average with some extra base pop, his catch/throw ability could move him up draft lists.


Mathew Crownover:


8-12-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/AllAmerican/News.aspx?num=6123  – Lefty Matthew Crownover took the mound for the East in the first inning and made quick work of the West with a crisp 1-2-3 inning. Crownover struck out two batters using a 88-90 fastball, a mid-70s curve and an upper-70s changeup showing his usual mastery of the strikezone.


Mark Appel:


8-13-11: - http://bullpenbanter.com/  - Mark Appel is a RHP from Stanford that will be entering his Junior season in the fall. He is widely regarded as one of the top 5 talents in the 2012 MLB Draft and I would agree with that. In fact, Appel is the most impressive amateur in this draft I've seen live so far. He was hitting upper 90's this game and the velo comes easy. His skinny, athletic build looks like it could add a lot of muscle still, too, especially in the legs and calves. The 4 seam is a strong pitch - if fairly straight. The velo alone makes it tough and he challenged up with it a few times with good success. The 2 seam has some run to it and he pounded the bottom of the zone with it. SL is filthy... plus plus pitch. It looks like it takes a left turn and then becomes a 12-6 curve. I'd want to call it a CB but he clearly gave the catcher a slider sign with his glove before throwing it in the pen. He didn't throw all that many CUs but he threw a few very nice ones. The pitch doesn't have much lateral movement but its got good separation from the FB that hitters didn't see at all. Probably half of the CUs had a fantastic tumble to them but he just didn't have consistency with it this game. I'm told that a longstanding concern with Appel is that he never has his whole repertoire working on any given day and that may have been what I was seeing here


Carson Fulmer:


7-19-11: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2011/6/29/2250656/early-look-at-2012#comments  - Carson Fulmer, All Saint’s Academy, Lakeland FL 6’1 190, quick arm with pop, up to 92, some effort to delivery and lacks life to fb when up, fb down has sink and is heavy, cb has good break and rotation, command was ok and control was good on the day for 2 innings, could be a good one in time, 4-7 rounder type.