Ryan Fuller discusses new White Sox hitters
When the White Sox hired Ryan Fuller to be their new director of hitting, they made it clear that part of his job was to solidify the connection between the decision process of acquiring new hitters, and how they would develop once they’re in-house.
Since the one exciting transaction the White Sox have made this winter was acquiring a trio of developing hitters, it made sense to give Fuller a call.
Kyle Teel
While it encompasses all of 138 minor league games, Teel is a career .301/.404/.444 hitter as a professional. As tempting as it is to prod Fuller into discussing the granular details of an offensive profile, he made it clear there’s a lot to be said for long track record of above-average performance. For the 22-year-old Teel, Fuller was particularly taken for how walks and below-average chase rates have been a bedrock of his game for years now.
“Being able to control the zone and walk at a high rate is a skill that is going to allow young hitters to help even when those other skills aren’t there,” Fuller said. “You may be scuffling, you may not be finding barrels at the rate you want to throughout, but if you’re still able to have great at-bats, take a walk, get on base, it such a skill to be able to withstand those highs and lows.”
It’s nice to see James be able to do the kind of deep dive we’ve seen from pitching coaches on the other side of the ball. (This comment is less about James and more about the Sox having someone on the hitting side who can talk hitting in this way.)
I am also pleased that Braden Montgomery is this proactive about improving. And I’m curious what the Sox have in the way of equipment that Texas A&M does not.
A fancy 386 with Civilization II installed.
I mean, that was the jam 30 years ago. I played the shit out of that secretly during study hall.
I may be younger than you, but I played a lot of Civ IV. Still a fun game every now and then, though it takes more time than I often have available to get through.
Youthe Sox have died of dysentery.Equipment is great, but communication, assuming the information imparted is correct, is better. I just want to see Sox hitters go up there looking like they have a plan. Even if the plan is sit on a fastball, it’s better than no plan at all. And having a plan should help them chase less. Their offense last year wouldn’t have been that good no matter what, but part of the reason it tanked as hard as it did is a lack of plate discipline. The Sox really need to cut down on their chase rate and be more willing to take walks, pretty much team-wide. And that starts with having a better plan that they do their best to stick to.
Trajekt (MLB) vs iPitch (Texas A&M)
Sox also have iPitch machines, but the Trajekt is the “upgrade”
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40401564/trajekt-arc-new-technology-controversy-mlb-hitters-pitchers-advantage
I’m curious to see how he will work with guys such as Oscar Colas and Lenyn Sosa.
I’ve given up on both guys. If they make improvements, great, but I don’t see either factoring into the Sox’ future plans.
I have given up on Colas. I still have some hope Sosa can become a hitting force.
I’d like to see Colas get another shot. It seemed like he was making improvements in his swing decision last year. He was walking more in his cup of coffee in MLB. The chase seemed like his biggest problem in 2022. I think the Sox aren’t particularly inclined to give Colas another shot, however.
Lenyn seems to want it harder. He plays everyday wherever. Rarely gets hurt. Goes into the off season to play in Venezuela too. Colas was encouraged by the White Sox to play Winter baseball, and he said no. He wanted a break and do some light work form the comfort of his home in Florida. That bugs me a bit.
Careful now, itโs dangerous around here to question a playerโs willingness to do work in the offseason. Lot of push back on folks when questions about Moncadaโs drive to improve during the offseason.
I do agree with you, you want to see guys try to improve and work at the craft, Iโd be more willing to give Lenyn another chance just in his work ethic alone.
Moncada was playing quite well before he went down injured. Obviously he showed little motivation to return after that (which…understandable), but clearly he did work in the offseason that was paying dividends.
The White Sox have few outfield options in the coming years and a scarcity of left-handed power. Even if his attitude has been poor, I don’t know why they have so quickly washed their hands of a lefty power bat who can theoretically cover an outfield corner who is only 26.
I am not sure I would call Colas a ‘lefty power bat’.
He has plus raw power to tap into if he could ever figure out how to put the bat on the ball.
โHittersโ is perhaps not the most precise term for these athletes. I refer to these Periodic Occupants of the Batterโs Box as โPOBBsโ.
For the league minimum, I’d gladly fill that role a few times a game. Might even luck into a hit a couple times a year. Soto’s deal pays $51M/yr and he averages almost precisely 162 hits/162 games, meaning his new deal will pay $315K/hit. I’m willing to accept that same pay-per-hit ratio.
I have modest tastes. I could happily live on one hit per year.
I’m not even positive I could get that, so I have to bank two hits in those years where I’m lucky. My career would be short as I’d be playing my age 44 season and my name is neither Satchel Paige nor Julio Franco.
Heh. You’re a pup. This would be my age 63 season, and I’m no Minoso. But I figure somebody would feel sorry for me in the late innings of a blowout and I could get my check and go home for the year.
Me too, I could live on a HBP and IBB.
The only way you get an IBB is if I’m batting behind you.
Crowd the plate and get plunked a few times and the White Sox would consider you a middle of the order hitter.
Unlike some former guys I hope the new guys actually listen and learn from these coaches.
Only two Cubans in the J15 class, though one is the highest-ranked prospect.
https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1879612706329923647/photo/1
Orlando Patino was flipped from the Dodgers
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/white-sox-flip-international-prospect-as-roki-sasaki-decision-looms/
Guys like Patino always give me pause because they have little physical projection remaining, so there’s a strong possibility he looked good against less developed competition, even if it was age appropriate. Like, I thought Yoelquis Cespedes was one of the most physically gifted prospects the White Sox have had in the last decade outside of Luis Robert, but once he was facing more capable competition his tools couldn’t carry him any further on their own.
In my OPP, I recommended they sign Soto…and they did. Unfortunately, not *that* one, but a Yordani. In Jerry’s mind, it’s probably the same thing, just one is cheaper.