23
2011
MMO Exclusive Interview: Mets 2011 First Rounder, RHP Michael Fulmer
An article by 
Last June, the Mets selected RHP Michael Fulmer with the 44th overall pick in the MLB Draft. He was the supplemental first-round pick for the Yankees’ signing of Pedro Feliciano.
Fulmer, 18, went 10-2 with a 0.72 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 68 innings for Deer Creek High School in his hometown of Edmond, OK. He was honored with the Ferguson Jenkins Award this year, presented to the top five high school baseball players in Oklahoma.
Michael was nice enough to grant me an interview and answer a few questions for Mets Merized Online.
Petey: First of all Michael, congratulations on a very exciting 2011! After becoming the 44th overall pick for the Mets in the 2011 MLB Amateur draft, your development over the next several seasons will be fun to watch as you climb the Minor League ladder to the Big Leagues. Thank you so much for sharing a little of your time. When the Mets drafted you in the Supplemental 1st round of the 2011 MLB Player Draft, how did you first hear about it, and what was that feeling like? Did you know the Mets were interested in drafting you?
Michael: On draft night I had a little party with my friends and immediate family. We were watching the draft on TV and to get that call from the Mets to say that they were interested in me at the 44th pick was the second most exciting thing in my life. The first being able to see my name and face on national television actually living my life long dream of becoming a professional baseball player.
Petey: Is there one person, a coach, a friend or family member, or even another player, who you learned the most from, or who inspired you to chase your dream of becoming a major league baseball player?
Michael: My parents were always supportive of me no matter what I did. I have to thank them for that. Second of all my coaches at the great Deer Creek High School. All the coaches helped me out a ton with different aspects of the game of baseball along with the lessons of life. And of course my teammates who are always beside me no matter what before during or after the game.
Petey: We have heard that you throw very hard, and have a very good off-speed pitch, but could you tell us a little more about your arsenal? What pitches you throw, at what speeds, and are you working on any new pitches moving forward?
Michael: I pitch off my fastball. That is my favorite pitch and also the pitch I need to work on most as far as command. I throw a 12-6 curveball, a slider, and a changeup which is getting a lot better while working with the pitching coaches.
Petey: You only pitched in 4 games after signing late last year, but during those 5 plus innings of work, were you able to get an idea of what you need to work on as a pitcher to succeed against tougher competition?
Michael: Yes, pro ball is very different from high school ball. I’ve learned that I got away with a lot of pitches in high school that I do not in pro ball. Command is the name of the game. Learn how to pitch now and not just throw.
Petey: Going from amateur to professional baseball will cause you to throw more innings. What kind of things will you do to stay in shape over the winter? Can you describe your workout regimen? Did the Mets give you specific things to work on?
Michael: My offseason will consist of the workout program that the wonderful strength and conditioning coaches gave us. Getting stronger, more flexible, balance, and all around stamina. Anything will help for upcoming spring training.
Petey: What was your favorite baseball team growing up? Your favorite player?
Michael: My all time favorite player is Curt Schilling. So I kind of followed him around when he played for the Diamondbacks and the Red Sox.
Petey: Is there a major league pitcher that you think you are similar to in style? Or someone that you can see yourself pitching like someday in the majors?
Michael: Not so much any certain pitcher in the Majors because they all have something I do not. They all have the skillset and know exactly what they have to do to be there. I have a lot of work to get close to any big league pitcher.
Petey: What are your goals for next season? Is there a particular club you hope to make out of spring training? Have the Mets made any indication of what they are planning for you next season, or are those things decided in ST?
Michael: My goal next season is to get better as a person and a ball player each and every day. The Mets organization have a plan for me and my goal is to impress them and get better every opportunity I get, always working hard.
Petey: What one thing did you learn in pro ball this year? What was your team like in the GCL? Was there any one player that really impressed you with his play?
Michael: In the GCL this year I learned that all my teammates can flat out play. It feels great just to be around guys who love the greatest game on earth as much as I do. My confidence on the mound has increased a lot because I know the guys behind me will get it done.
Petey: And to finish up Michael, just a little personal info, not pertaining to baseball. What is your favorite movie? Favorite musician or band? Favorite food?
Michael: Favorite movie is Major League 1 and 2. Favorite band is Skillet, and Jason Aldean. And favorite food has to be grilled chicken with honey mustard to dip in!
Petey: Thanks again Michael for being so kind as to participate in this interview! And congratulations on making my MetsMerizedOnline 2012 Mets Top 20 Prospects List. Take care, and looking forward to seeing you on the “bump” next year!
Michael: Thank you Pete, I appreciate it!
It sounds like the Mets got themselves a great kid with solid skills and potential. Not only is he a big strong pitcher with a great arm and a lot of talent, but they got an intelligent and dedicated young man who knows what he needs to do to succeed and has the drive to do it. It may take a few years, but I have no doubt that if healthy, we’ll see Michael in the majors one day.
Enjoy this video of Michael Fulmer’s biggest game as an amateur, striking out sixteen batters while belting a double and a home run at the plate for Deer Creek.
About the Author: Peter Shapiro
The first time I went to Shea was not for a Mets game, it was for the Beatles concert there in August of '66. My first Met game was '67, a guy named Salty Parker was the interim-manager then. My first pennant race was 1969. As a 12 year-old that summer and fall, I managed to get to the park for 3 games. The first was the beginning of the Miracle which actually started on Tuesday July 8, 1969 with a day game against the Cubs. I was there a lot in '73. I saw games 3 & 5 of the 1973 NL Playoffs against the "Big Red Machine", from the upper deck behind home plate. It was from there that I witnessed the fight between Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose, and the mayhem that ensued. And that sweet victory in game 5! I saw a couple of WS games at Shea that year against that legendary Oakland A's club. I was there in 1985 for every single game Dr. K pitched including his two 16 strikeout performances, and the day he one-hit the Cubs on an infield single and the Mets won 1-0. I loved being a Met fan in those days. Hopefully we are once again preparing to emerge from the darkness.
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This kid could hit! Those were both great swings.
I am hopeful that Fulmer develops but why use a 1st Round pick on a pitcher who projects to be at best a #3 starter? Fulmer made three starts last year as a pro and only pitched six innings.
I know Fulmer throws 90′s with a 12/6 curve ball but why use a 1st round pick for him?
What am I missing? Fulmer is going to have to develop into quite a bit to make the major leagues. I see the Fulmer pick as the Mets playing lotto with an “extra” 1st round pick instead of selecting a more developed pitcher. Lets hope our numbers come up!
When looking at players from the draft, usually when you say “he could develop into a #3″, that’s considered just a very conservative post-draft estimate for a guy who hasn’t pitched much. Fulmer, with his mid-90′s heat and his advanced curveball, could easily develop into a 1 or a 2 should he stay healthy and improve his changeup, something common for HS draft picks to need to improve.
Saying he could be a #3 right after the draft is actually a really good sign. Remember, Jon Niese was projected to be a #5 or long man and he’s likely a #3 now. Only the absolute, can’t miss phenoms out of High School (Dylan Bundy and Archie Bradley for instance in 2011) will be labeled as future #1′s, just because they’re even more advanced but Fulmer is pretty ahead of the curve for a HS kid and he’s got real talent, too.
Fullmer would’ve went sooner than 44 had teams not been scared by his signabilty.Scouts have said he already has the best curveball of all the HS kids drafted ahead of him.That’s saying something when you consider the names you mentioned and the other HS kids.He would not have been there in the 2nd round for the Mets.
Yup, that too. It’s the same thing with Nimmo, from my understanding. I always laugh when I see people say that Nimmo was only rated as a late first rounder/early supplemental round pick like that’s some kind of indictment against his talent or something. The kid is incredibly talented but he also had a commitment to Arkansas, the same school Fulmer was committed to and it was also initially thought that it was going to be very hard to break. That’s the reason why Nimmo was rated that low. Nimmo was one of the highest upsides in that draft and many, many other teams wanted to use that ranking to get him later, so they could try to get TWO excellent talents with their first two picks. Let’s just say that he was undervalued in the draft system because of his high price and college commitment (that’s basically what overslotting is…finding the undervalued assets, the guys who are talented but might be too expensive, and paying them anyway so you get them). Too bad for those other teams the Mets loved him and knew he wouldn’t be on the board at #44.
Lifelong,
We’ve drafted an extrodinary number of “more developed” pitchers like Traber, Durkin, Heilman, Humber, Pelfrey, Mulvey, Kunz, Rustich, Holt Harvey with 1st, supplemental and 2nd round round picks. Pelfrey has at least made it up here, and pitched well at times and Harvey looks like the real deal but overall the “well developed” pitcher hasn’t panned out very well.
I think the idea is to get the talent and develop it ourselves, before it has 3 years of abuse in college. Humber in particular was part of a a great college pitching staff at Rice in which he and Townsend and Nieman were all drafted in the early first round. A total of four #1 picks all top 10 spent on these three pitchers and only Nieman has had any real success. Humber had his first decent year 7 years after being drafted and Townsend is pitching in a independant league.
Get enough Michael Fulmers coming through your system and and you’ll have 3 spots in the rotation covered and 4 spots in the pen. That’s how every other team does it and that’s why other teams don’t have to sign 4 guys every year for the pen and a couple of starting pitchers as well and who knows, when you start out with the top shelf talent you could very well get a Josh Johnson or Cole Hamels out of the deal too.
Very well said.
For starters, those “more developed” pitchers also tend to be “more abused” pitchers. College coaches will squeeze every pitch they can out of those arms. There’s a big concern about accelerating the clock on their inevitable arm injuries.
Also, Toby Hyde over at MetsMinorLeagueBlog was writing about reasons to be optimistic about Nimmo when he referred to a study by Baseball Prospectus about why drafting younger players is better, or at least has had better results the last few years.
http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/age-another-reason-to-be-optimistic-about-brandon-nimmo/
Here’s the article he referenced. I’m not sure if it’s available to non-subscribers.
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15306
Wonderful interview with a young man who had a “Lightening in a Bottle” game.
Thanks Petey.
Thanks Des, glad you enjoyed it!
Favorite band is Skillet. Just awesome. Saw them play in 1995 I believe. Too funny yet heart warming too.
I dig Skillet a lot. Not so much their early stuff, as I can’t relate to the lyrical content. But the musicianship was always there. Good band.
This pick comes courtesy of the NY Yanks for signing Pedro(Abused by the Mets)Feliciano.
Thanks Brian Cashman!Hows that workin out for ya?
Petey you’re doing an awesome job on these
thanks jessep!
You’ve got good taste in music and movies, Michael.
Great job with the interview again Pete.
I actually think this kid could be a #2 and I think he’s got a lot of potential. I’m under the impression the Mets farm system could throw out a few good arms in the next few years.
The system is definitely improving Satish, let’s hope it keeps heading in a positive direction.
so wait, is fulmer projected to be a starter or a bullpen guy? i am confused?!
As of now he is projected to start, but before that becomes reality, he must first iron out a few wrinkles in his delivery, and develop an effective change. But the potential is definitely there.
ahhh, thanks pete. usually a guy that throws that hard like that becomes a bullpen guy to be able to utilize his best weapon as often as possible in the rotation. he can be our “joba” in the bullpen imo.
Oh please…I hope not. Let him start. The goal is to develop starting pitchers. They’re more valuable because they give you more innings. You’d much rather have a really good starter who’ll give you 200+ innings in a season over a reliever who’ll give you maybe 70 in a season.
Absolutely. Develop him to be everything that he possibly can be, then downshift after exhausting all other possibilities.
An arm like that at 18 can be a lot things, or not depending on so many other factors but don’t sell him short until there is no chance of his having 3 terrific or 4 very good pitches in his tool belt.