Carson Fulmer and the right struggles

[NorthSideSox72]

For anyone paying attention to the farm, you've undoubtedly noticed Carson Fulmer struggling to find command (or even just the strike zone). So we asked around - talked with people from the Barons front office, interviewed AGM Buddy Bell, interviewed Pitching Coach J.R. Perdew. Grabbed videos from college, from 2015, and from 2015 in AA.

 

The result is this excellent deep dive piece written by Brian, looking at what has and hasn't changed. Fair warning, it's a long article, but it's anything and everything you need to know about what Fulmer is changing and where he's struggling.

 

Highly recommend you read it. Just great stuff.

 

[caulfield12]

Really don't like the looks of that last video "quick pitching" from the stretch.

 

Looks like an injury waiting to happen, with so much stress on the arm/shoulder. Would rather he just took his time and gave up some steals and kept the proper mechanics and rhythm at this point. Holding runners on is something you can pick up later, varying the amount of time you hold the ball, utilizing a set of different pick off moves (A and B versions) to keep baserunners honest, etc.

 

PTAC??

 

 

[Jake]

One thing I noticed–in your (excellent and useful) compare/contrast of last year's mechanics with this year's, I think you're wrong about his placement on the rubber. It's always hard to see from these angles, but in the 2015 video it looks to me like he's on the extreme 3rd base side of the rubber. I can't tell where he is in the 2016 video. I think he should be on the first base side of the rubber, especially if he wants to stride closed.

[Chicago White Sox]

Great stuff as usual raBBit! Was hoping it was mechanical changes driving his performance after reading your interview with Buddy Bell and it sounds like that may in fact be the case.

[Chisoxfn]

Good piece on Fulmer, however, I am actually more dissapointed based upon the read. Seems like he is messing / tinkering without working with the coaches and I don't like that. I might be misreading and he is fully entitled to making mechanical changes but seems odd that he's made changes, yet key brass have kind of indicated as if he's doing it on his own. I think there should be a more team effort there. Good thing is we've been aggressive with the assignment and the stuff is there and evidently he has a real strong mental makeup.

 

I should point out, I tend to be a skeptic when people make major mechanical changes that their body has dealt with for a long time.

[ptatc]

Good piece on Fulmer, however, I am actually more dissapointed based upon the read. Seems like he is messing / tinkering without working with the coaches and I don't like that. I might be misreading and he is fully entitled to making mechanical changes but seems odd that he's made changes, yet key brass have kind of indicated as if he's doing it on his own. I think there should be a more team effort there. Good thing is we've been aggressive with the assignment and the stuff is there and evidently he has a real strong mental makeup.

 

I should point out, I tend to be a skeptic when people make major mechanical changes that their body has dealt with for a long time.

I think this is an organizational philosophy of letting the players succeed or fail on their own before the coaches make changes. There were similar articles about Hawkins.

[NorthSideSox72]

I think this is an organizational philosophy of letting the players succeed or fail on their own before the coaches make changes. There were similar articles about Hawkins.

The hitting coaches actually had Hawkins make a lot of mechanical changes during his first full season, though not at the very beginning.

 

[Chisoxfn]

I am not sure which video/GIF you're referring to. While your analysis is correct, I looked at much more tape than what I posted in the article along with scouting reports from last year. He's always been on the 1st base side and really, it makes sense given his lack of size thwarting him from getting a good angle on the ball. It worked a lot better with his mechanics from last year. This year, that placement is exacerbating him opening as you're alluding to. He's got some work to do for sure.

 

 

Thanks! Strangely enough, Bell and Perdew aren't of the opinion his mechanics are different so it's questionable. He surely looks different to me.

Yeah, on your last point, that is what gives me the concern. If he's changed, he's doing it without talking to his pitching coach, etc. If they haven't changed, then you have less reasons for his struggles. I was hoping I'd hear the Sox are working with him on some minor mechanical changes that he is still adjusting through which is causing some issues repeating his delivery and thus causing command issues. Instead what I got (not your fault...you are just reporting) is that they don't think he's made a change, but we see things different, which tells me he is out of whack or just doing things without working with the coaches (which doesn't really make a lot of sense).

[caulfield12]

One enigma with Erik Johnson is enough.

 

Let's hope that Fulmer can pull himself out of this and stay in Birmingham.

[Jake]

I am not sure which video/GIF you're referring to. While your analysis is correct, I looked at much more tape than what I posted in the article along with scouting reports from last year. He's always been on the 1st base side and really, it makes sense given his lack of size thwarting him from getting a good angle on the ball. It worked a lot better with his mechanics from last year. This year, that placement is exacerbating him opening as you're alluding to. He's got some work to do for sure.

 

 

Thanks! Strangely enough, Bell and Perdew aren't of the opinion his mechanics are different so it's questionable. He surely looks different to me.

 

I did the non-lazy thing and just looked at actual photographs of his position on the rubber at Vandy and W-S...and yes, regardless of where he might be in that video (it's hard to see), he definitely is on the 1B in all the old photos. The irony is that if he's going to start striding open or more neutral it may no longer be the ideal place on the rubber.