Jake Fox

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #24 prospect in 2009
  There are scouts who swear that Fox's plus power would produce 25 homers if he got the chance to play every day in the majors. The problem is that those longballs would come with a low batting average, plenty of strikeouts and absolutely no defensive ability. Fox has accumulated 14 big league at-bats in his six seasons in the organization, and he hurt his cause by not performing in Triple-A to start 2008. That led to a demotion in early May, after which he led the Southern League in slugging (.580). Fox can crush any fastball out of any park, in part because he sits on fastballs and sells out for power every time. He can't handle breaking balls, won't work counts and rarely listens to batting coaches. Power is Fox's only tool, and one scout described his defense as "a notch above horrific." Drafted as a catcher, he's now a first baseman/corner outfielder with substandard speed, range, hands and arm strength. The best-case scenario is for Fox to have a career similar to that of Ryan Garko, another former college catcher who's dangerous with both a bat and a glove. Coming off a big winter in the Dominican League, Fox will take another crack at Triple-A in 2009. The Cubs already have a righthanded-hitting first baseman in Derrek Lee, so Fox really needs a trade to an American League club.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #19 prospect in 2008
  Fox generates split opinions both inside and outside of the organization. Those who like him point to his righthanded power and believe he could be a regular at first base or left field. Those who don't think he sells out for homers, an approach that won't work in the major leagues, and question whether he'll ever be effective against breaking pitches. One thing both sides do agree on is that Fox won't make it as a catcher, his full-time position before 2007. Fox undermined decent arm strength with subpar footwork and a slow transfer, and his receiving skills were even shakier. While he's a good athlete for a catcher, he has below-average speed, range, hands and arm strength, which makes it a stretch that he can play an outfield corner on a regular basis. Fox' background as an offensive-minded catcher who had to move from behind the plate is similar to Ryan Garko's. He's a better defender at first base and has as much power as Garko, but Fox isn't as polished a hitter. He can hit fastballs early in the count, but he doesn't have much patience and is susceptible to offspeed pitches. Though the Cubs will give Fox a look in spring training, he'll probably open the year in Triple-A.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #24 prospect in 2007
  Trying to address a shortage in their system, the Cubs drafted nine catchers in 2003, starting with Fox in the third round. He's easily the best hitter among their current catching prospects, but also the weakest defender. Fox generates power with a short stroke. He hit a career-high 21 homers in 2006, and scouts credited him with doing a better job of using the whole field. However, he did most of his damage while repeating high Class A and wasn't nearly as dangerous after a promotion to Double-A, where his plate discipline deteriorated. Fox has to hit, because he's adequate at best behind the plate. He has some arm strength, but his footwork and transfer from mitt to hand don't work well. He threw out 30 percent of basestealers last year. He has more problems as a receiver, much of which can be attributed to a lack of concentration. He tied for the Southern League lead with 14 passed balls in just 43 games as a catcher. His game-calling skills also leave something to be desired. He works on his defense but doesn't have much to show for his efforts. He's a below-average runner but not a baseclogger like many catchers are. Both he and Chris Robinson will be stationed in Double-A this year, so Fox may also see time in the outfield and on the infield corners. The best-case scenario is that he becomes Chris Hoiles.