Cleveland Guardians 2023 scouting report: #33 2B/OF Jake Fox
Fox showed he wouldn't chase out of the zone against Low-A pitching and has some defensively versatility
Build & Background
Medium athletic middle infielders build. Some room to add strength but mostly filled out frame. Has baseball bloodlines. Good competitor and drive. High school draft pick. Committed to Florida before being drafted.Â
What Fox does well
Short levers with ability to make contact through a simple swing. Doesn’t chase out of the zone. Very willing to take a walk. Athletic and runs well. Good strike zone recognition. Solid range at second and working in center.Â
Where Fox needs to improve
Arm may limit him to second, center and left. His ability to draw a walk also may be more passivity than patience. Needs to prove he can make good swing decisions in and out of the zone against upper level pitching. Contact impact needs to be improved through added strength.
Intangibles
Fox played good high school competition and was young for his class. Intense competitor on the field. His baseball bloodlines give him an advantage. Good makeup and was a recruit to a strong baseball program.
Future
There’s some developmental work to be done here with Fox, improving his confidence in swing decisions. He should get some chances to face better pitching to get him to prove his approach is patient and not passive. Cleveland will work with him to add some strength to his frame to give him more of a chance to make an impact offensively to go with his speed. It might be a deliberate developmental path but Fox could wind up being a patient, contact-first utility or bench type bat that can run, play second and some outfield, and pinch run.
Role: 40 - Bench infield/outfield role and pinch runner
fangraphs listed his avg exit velo and max velo is 85 109, I think this is quiet good for a 19 years old guy