Depth arms!
Who is he and where did he come from?
He’s former all-star and Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer. Fulmer, 32, has spent his seven-year major league career in the Midwest with the Tigers and Cubs. He began his career in the rotation but has since transitioned to a relief role.
Following the injury to Richard Fitts, the Red Sox called Fulmer back up to the big leagues and he made his first appearance for Boston in the ugly blowout against the Rays two nights ago.
Is he any good?
As Dan Secatore wrote a few years back, winning the Rookie of the Year carries some weight, despite the following years. Fulmer followed up his award-winning campaign with another strong season, posting a 3.83 ERA in 165 innings and making the all-star team. In 2018, Fulmer ran into trouble; he transformed his reliable cutter into a more traditional slider and was punished for it. The slider found the zone too often, the righty gave up more home runs, and his ERA ballooned. After the season, Fulmer had Tommy John and didn’t pitch again until 2020.
When Fulmer returned, his velocity fell and he struggled to punch hitters out. Aside from a few starts the following season, this marked the end of Michael Fulmer, starting pitcher. The Fulmer that pitches out of the bullpen, while not the same pitcher who won Rookie of the Year, has been a solid relief arm. Across 175 innings, he’s posted a 3.43 ERA, including a 27.6% strikeout rate in 2023. He regained his velocity, went back to his hard cutter, and added a sweeper. He’s particularly tough on righties (.208 batting average against) but has some difficulties against lefties due to horrible fastball locations. Following the logic in my Andrew Bailey piece from earlier this week, my suggestion is to simply stop throwing the four-seamer. His cutter and changeup should be enough to navigate those at-bats and decrease his walk rate. He won’t be a lockdown closer, but there’s still plenty of upside.
What’s his role on the 2025 Red Sox?
Fulmer underwent “UCL revision surgery” and missed all of 2024. The Red Sox brought him in on the James Paxton plan, signing him and letting him rehab for a year. Now he’s back on the mound and, so far, looks to be used in relief, though it’s worth noting that he did make two starts in Worcester before his call-up. While it’s possible he gets an opener start or two throughout the season, he’s likely a depth swing-man who will spend most of his time in the pen. And given that the Sox will soon need roster spots for Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito (and that the Fitts injury doesn’t look as bad as initially feared), his time with the big league club may be short. But that doesn’t mean you won’t see him up and down all season.
Show me a cool highlight.
Here’s four minutes of Fulmer mowing hitters down on his way to the 2016 American League Rookie of the Year. Pretty cool if you ask me.
What’s he doing in his picture up there?
[Ed.’s Warning: Actual answer follows] Congratulating his catcher on a job well done after securing the win in a game against the Colorado Rockies. That’s right, Fulmer wasn’t just another starter-turned-long reliever to eat innings, he was actually pitching in high-leverage spots for the Cubs.