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Carson Fulmer is hoping to hear his name at an MLB Draft for the second time in his baseball career. (Getty)
This isn’t Carson Fulmer’s first run-in with the MLB Draft.
The Florida native was selected in the 15th round of the 2012 Draft by the Boston Red Sox but opted not to sign and took the college route, attending Vanderbilt University and pitching for the Commodores.
It turned out alright.
Fulmer pitched the Commodores to an NCAA College World Series last spring, a title he’s looking to repeat this year, and is a projected first-round pick in this year’s MLB Draft. As an added bonus, he’s also one of four finalists for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the nation’s top college baseball player.
Here’s what you need to know about the right-hander:
His Numbers
After one season out of the bullpen, Fulmer became a starter for the Commodores and the move seemed to suit him.
As a sophomore, and eventual national champion, Fulmer finished the season with a 1.98 ERA in 91 innings pitched, giving up just 20 earned runs and only 10 extra base hits.
This spring has been even more impressive. In 107.2 innings and counting, Fulmer has given up just 71 total hits and only 23 earned runs with a career-best 1.92 ERA. He’s also struck out 147 opposing batters this spring and his career strike out record is just over 900 total. He’s averaging 12 strikeouts a game.
His Story
Fulmer presents a less-than-normal sight on the mound for scouts. He’s relatively undersized, standing at just 6-foot, 195-pounds, and his wind-up does not exactly paint the picture of a future MLB starter.
Fulmer talked about his approach to AZCentral:
There’s just different ways. Everyone is unique. Everyone has their own way of pitching. That’s just what works for me. Obviously, I love when people tell me to try things. I’ve always had the mind-set of, ‘Quick to listen, slow to change.’
Still, the scouts have show up and they’ve shown interest; for a long time. Fulmer was initially drafted in the 15th round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox but opted to maintain his college commitment to Vanderbilt instead of immediately turning pro.
Fulmer’s tenure with the Commodores has been a prolific one. This season alone, he’s already been named the SEC Pitcher of the Year and, along with teammate Dansby Swanson, is one of four finalists for the Golden Spikes Award. He finished the regular season leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts.
His Highlights
The first thing most scouts seem to notice about Fulmer is his size. Or lack thereof. He’s not a big guy. Vanderbilt has Fulmer listed at 6-foot which means he’s probably closer to the 5-foot-11 range.
Starting pitchers are not usually 5-foot-11. That’s just what Fulmer is though and odds are pretty good that, should he hear his name on Monday night, there aren’t many pro squads that will want to change that.
For good reason.
Fulmer’s got some serious velocity on his pitches and sits around 93 to 95 miles per hour with his fastball. And that breaking ball? It frozen SEC batters at the plate all spring long.
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