Draft Profile - Josh Fellhauer - CF - CSUF

[Chisoxfn]

It wouldn't be a baseball draft without me hyping a Titan. I've long said the program grooms great baseball players and while there aren't a ton that go on to become big league stars (Tim Wallach and Aaron Rowand being two of the best) there are a ton of Titans that go on to have productive big league careers. Josh Fellhauer is a guy that I think has a shot at being just that, a productive big leaguer. In fact, I'd even go as far as saying he has a similar skill-set as Aaron Rowand, although I'd say he has a bit less power potential and tools than Rowand did coming out of Fullerton.

 

What Fellhauer does well is everything, despite the lack of awe-dropping tools. I wouldn't consider him a very projectable player but the former high school QB has a very strong arm and is one of the premiere defensive centerfielders in college baseball and projects to be a potential above average defensive centerfielder in the majors. Its a good thing too, because he doesn't have the power ability to stick as a corner outfielder. Fellhauer also possesses a very level and compact swing that has the potential to make him a very very good top of the order hitter (#1/#2) as he should hit for a high average. Despite putting up good numbers his first two years of college (now a junior), he made a big change to his swing this season, which has left it much shorter and more major league ready. Power wise his upside is 10-20 HR's, most likely settling in the 12-15 HR range with lots of doubles. He's shown a good eye in college and has cut the strikeouts every season and is a very smart runner on the paths and does a good job handling the bat which should again make him an asset a-top the order (hit and runs, moving a guy over, bunts, etc).

 

As a whole I think the upside is a .300 hitting, good defensive CFer with 12-15 HR's a season, 15-20 steals, and a .360+ OBP. The odds that he does that might not be as great as some other players because that is probably his pure upside (where as many guys you see touted have far higher upside) but I think he has a semi decent chance of coming close to that upside because of his poise, and just the fact that he's been so well coached and is such a smart, level-headed ball player. Basically put, he's got a shot to be Mark Kotsay out in CF.

 

Again, I'm a bit biased but I tend to have a good track record when it comes to Titans and Titans tend to outperform there draft selection. A Pre-Season All American, I honestly have no idea where Josh is slated to go but my guess is somewhere between the 3rd and 10th rounds and I leave such a large gap there because it really comes down to what scouts think of Fellhauers overall skill-set cause his production, there just isn't any way to knock it. I'd quiet pleased if the Sox took him anytime after the 4th round or so and he should be a relatively easy sign if you get him early enough, despite having another year of college as an option.

 

He's batting 397 on the season with 16 stolen bases (23 attempts), 10 doubles, and 4hr's (179 ab's).