Jake Fox Stats & Scouting Report

AB	354
AVG	.218
OBP	.314
SLG	.333
HR	7

Full name Jacob Gage Fox
Born 02/12/2003 in Lakeland, FL
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Lakeland Christian
Drafted in the 3rd round (95th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2021 (signed for $850,000).

View Draft Report

Fox is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound shortstop out of Lakeland (Fla.) Christian High who has shown impressive feel for both sides of the game. Scouts seem most intrigued by his lefthanded bat. He has a bit of an unorthodox setup and swing at the plate with a hitch in his hands during his load and a bat head drop, but he’s made it work for him. While he didn’t show much impact potential last summer, Fox has added some weight over the offseason and gotten stronger, though he still profiles as more of a doubles hitter with below-average power. Defensively, Fox has the hands to stick at a middle infield position and he’s an above-average or plus runner underway. Scouts think he will be a better fit for second base at the pro level thanks to fringy arm strength, but there’s no reason why he can’t handle the position in college. That still might be a tough ask given Fox’s commitment to Florida, which has multiple solid defensive shortstops currently at the program.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 45/High

Track Record: Fox went strongly against the grain of the rest of the Guardians’ 2021 draft class both as a position player and as a prep player. In both categories, he was one of just two players the club selected with their 21 picks. He’s been solid in pro ball and came on strong in the second half of 2023 with High-A Lake County.

Scouting Report: While Fox was an unusual pick for Cleveland in the context of the rest of its 2021 draft class, he has a familiar offensive profile for the organization. He has an unorthodox setup at the plate but has a loose, easy swing and a patient approach. He has a hit-over-power profile but has gotten stronger since getting into pro ball and he could grow into more. He’s a plus runner and is a threat on the bases but is still learning the finer points of basestealing. Fox was drafted as a shortstop but was always unlikely to stay there because of his fringy arm strength. After primarily playing second base in 2022, he moved almost exclusively to the outfield in 2023, primarily playing center field. His speed fits there and he did a nice job learning his new position.

The Future: Fox is off to a strong start to his professional career and his hitting ability and speed give him a pair of standout tools. He’ll face a key challenge in 2024 as he advances to Double-A Akron.

Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Field: 50 | Arm: 45
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: Fox went strongly against the grain of the rest of the Guardians' 2021 draft class both as a position player and as a prep player. In both categories, he was one of just two players the club selected in their 21 picks. He's taken off in pro ball, first impressing in the Arizona Complex League after signing and then following that up with a solid season with low Class A Lynchburg as a 19-year-old.

Scouting Report: While Fox was an unusual pick for Cleveland in the context of the rest of its 2021 draft class, he has a familiar offensive profile for the organization. He has an unorthodox setup at the plate but has a loose, easy swing and has a patient approach. He has a hit-over-power profile but has gotten stronger since getting into pro ball and he could grow into more. He's a plus runner and uses his speed well on the bases, where he is a threat to steal. Fox was drafted as a shortstop but was always unlikely to stay there because of his fringy arm strength. He primarily played second base in 2022 and his hands and infield actions are good enough to stay there, but he also played center field about a third of the time. His speed fits there and he will continue to develop at both positions.

The Future: Fox is off to a strong start to his professional career and his hittability and speed give him a pair of standout tools. He'll advance to high Class A Lake County for 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 40. Speed: 60. Fielding: 50. Arm: 45.

Draft Prospects

Fox is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound shortstop out of Lakeland (Fla.) Christian High who has shown impressive feel for both sides of the game. Scouts seem most intrigued by his lefthanded bat. He has a bit of an unorthodox setup and swing at the plate with a hitch in his hands during his load and a bat head drop, but he’s made it work for him. While he didn’t show much impact potential last summer, Fox has added some weight over the offseason and gotten stronger, though he still profiles as more of a doubles hitter with below-average power. Defensively, Fox has the hands to stick at a middle infield position and he’s an above-average or plus runner underway. Scouts think he will be a better fit for second base at the pro level thanks to fringy arm strength, but there’s no reason why he can’t handle the position in college. That still might be a tough ask given Fox’s commitment to Florida, which has multiple solid defensive shortstops currently at the program.

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: Fox went strongly against the grain of the rest of the Guardians' 2021 draft class both as a position player and as a prep player. In both categories, he was one of just two players the club selected in their 21 picks. He's taken off in pro ball, first impressing in the Arizona Complex League after signing and then following that up with a solid season with low Class A Lynchburg as a 19-year-old.

Scouting Report: While Fox was an unusual pick for Cleveland in the context of the rest of its 2021 draft class, he has a familiar offensive profile for the organization. He has an unorthodox setup at the plate but has a loose, easy swing and has a patient approach. He has a hit-over-power profile but has gotten stronger since getting into pro ball and he could grow into more. He's a plus runner and uses his speed well on the bases, where he is a threat to steal. Fox was drafted as a shortstop but was always unlikely to stay there because of his fringy arm strength. He primarily played second base in 2022 and his hands and infield actions are good enough to stay there, but he also played center field about a third of the time. His speed fits there and he will continue to develop at both positions.

The Future: Fox is off to a strong start to his professional career and his hittability and speed give him a pair of standout tools. He'll advance to high Class A Lake County for 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 40. Speed: 60. Fielding: 50. Arm: 45.
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: Fox went strongly against the grain of the rest of the Guardians' 2021 draft class both as a position player and as a prep player. In both categories, he was one of just two players the club selected in their 21 picks. He's taken off in pro ball, first impressing in the Arizona Complex League after signing and then following that up with a solid season with low Class A Lynchburg as a 19-year-old.

Scouting Report: While Fox was an unusual pick for Cleveland in the context of the rest of its 2021 draft class, he has a familiar offensive profile for the organization. He has an unorthodox setup at the plate but has a loose, easy swing and has a patient approach. He has a hit-over-power profile but has gotten stronger since getting into pro ball and he could grow into more. He's a plus runner and uses his speed well on the bases, where he is a threat to steal. Fox was drafted as a shortstop but was always unlikely to stay there because of his fringy arm strength. He primarily played second base in 2022 and his hands and infield actions are good enough to stay there, but he also played center field about a third of the time. His speed fits there and he will continue to develop at both positions.

The Future: Fox is off to a strong start to his professional career and his hittability and speed give him a pair of standout tools. He'll advance to high Class A Lake County for 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 40. Speed: 60. Fielding: 50. Arm: 45.