Sam Fuld Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1354
AVG	.227
OBP	.307
SLG	.325
HR	12

Full name Samuel Babson Fuld
Born 11/20/1981 in Durham, NH
Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Stanford
Debut 09/05/2007
Drafted in the 10th round (306th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2004 (signed for $25,000).

View Draft Report

Fuld does not grade out as a premium draft pick but could be selected in an early round because of his instinctive feel for the game in the field, on the bases and at the plate, and an uncanny knack to get the most out of his ability. Fuld's tools are all below-average. He's not particularly fast and doesn't have a strong arm, but rates as a premier defensive outfielder because he gets excellent jumps on balls and takes good angles. Despite a .274 average this year, he's an effective leadoff hitter because he's an outstanding bunter and has a knack for getting on base. He holds the Stanford career record for runs, and the College World Series record for career hits. He demonstrated his ability to hit with wood last summer when he batted .361 in the Cape Cod League, second in the league. His inability to hit with the same prowess this spring may knock him down marginally, but he's still expected to be one of the first seniors selected. Scouts say the only way he'll show improvement is by adding strength to his 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Fuld finally avoided the disabled list and carved out a niche for himself in the major leagues in 2009. He's had to scrap his way through the minors since signing as a 10th-round pick in 2004, and after generating some momentum by winning Arizona Fall League MVP honors in 2007, he lost it by failing to hit in Triple-A at the start of the next season. Fuld conquered the Pacific Coast League last year, earning a callup in late June and coming up for good at the end of July. He doesn't have the tools to profile as a regular, but he's capable of helping a club win as a quality bench player. Fuld controls the strike zone and plays center field better than anyone on Chicago's big league team. He makes consistent line-drive contact and draws walks, and he improved his bunting last season. He has little home run power, so he focuses on getting on base. He has average speed, and his instincts make him a savvy baserunner and a quality center fielder. In his short time in Chicago, Fuld has made several highlight plays where he has gone crashing into the Wrigley Field bricks. That all-out style has led to a lengthy medical history, as he has missed time with shoulder, back, hip, hernia, oblique and thumb problems since turning pro. He has below-average arm strength but compensates with a quick release and good accuracy. He's a smart player, no surprise considering he graduated from Stanford with an economics degree, and gets the most out of his ability. Fuld has become an organization and fan favorite and should be the Cubs fourth outfielder in 2010.
Eric Patterson's loss was Fuld's gain. When Patterson arrived late to the ballpark on the third day of his September callup, Chicago demoted him to Double-A and brought up Fuld. Though he went hitless in six big league at-bats, he scored the winning run in one game against the Reds and made a spectacular catch up against the ivy against the Pirates. He already was an organization favorite for his energy and effort, and Fuld helped his cause further. He graduated from Stanford with an economics degree and still holds the College World Series record with 24 career hits. He has the best strike-zone judgment in the system, drawing more than his share of walks and making consistent line-drive contact. He doesn't have much power and his speed is just a tick above average, though his tremendous instincts allow him to steal a few bases and play a quality center field. Fuld's arm rates as below average, but his savvy and quick release helped him lead the Southern League with 13 outfield assists in just 87 games last year. He plays so hard that it's difficult for him to hold up over a full season. He jammed his shoulder on a headfirst slide during his 2005 pro debut, then battled back and hip problems before having offseason surgery to repair a sports hernia in 2006. He missed the first two weeks of last season after tweaking an oblique muscle in spring training. Fuld has boosted his profile from quality organization player to a big league reserve outfielder, and some scouts who saw him in the Arizona Fall League thought he could be more than that. He batted .402 and led the AFL in hits (43), doubles (11), extra-base hits (16), total bases (67), on-base percentage (.492) and slugging percentage (.626). He also won the league's Dernell Stenson Award for leadership. He could push Felix Pie for the Cubs' center-field job in spring training, but Fuld is more likely to stick in the majors as a backup or head to Triple-A.
Fuld starred for four seasons at Stanford, setting the College World Series record for career hits (24) and graduating with an economics degree. The Cubs drafted him in the 24th round in 2003 and again in the 10th round the following year, when they landed him for $25,000 as a senior sign. He partially tore the rotator cuff and labrum in his throwing shoulder in one of his final games for the Cardinal, so Fuld didn't make his pro debut until 2005. He reinjured his shoulder again that year, jamming it on a headfirst slide. A bulging disc in his back cost him two weeks in the middle of 2006, and his season ended with a hip injury in late July. To top it off, he had surgery to repair a sports hernia in November. When healthy, Fuld has put up consistent numbers in two years in Class A. He has the best strike-zone discipline in the system, which led to a 17-game hitting streak and a 33-game on-base streak in 2006. He doesn't have much pop, but he stings line drives all over the field. He's has slightly above-average speed and basestealing savvy, succeeding on 22 of 25 attempts last year. He gets good breaks and plays a solid center field, though his arm is below average. Fuld could crack the major league as a platoon or reserve outfielder, but he'll have to stay healthy to do so. He's ready for Double-A this year.