Cleveland Guardians Top 30 Prospects: #26 Jake Fox

When we talked about Jhonkensy Noel I got to mention Cleveland's philosophical shift in player development, prioritizing contact over most other tools. It was a vague umbrella statement, so let me expand on that a little. When I say the Guardians target players with good contact skills I'm referring to players with strong hand-eye coordination, plate discipline, and bat-to-ball skills. Typically those skills are difficult to teach, but Cleveland identifies players who possess those abilities innately and build up prospects from there.This change in scouting and development occurred around 2016, and the first wave of those position players are starting to make some noise. Steven Kwan finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2022 and is the best example the Guardians have to date, but the likes of Will Brennan, Richie Palacios, and Tyler Freeman all debuted last season touting similar offensive profiles.My 26th-ranked Guardians prospect is Jake Fox, a second baseman and outfielder out of Lakeland Christian High School in Florida, who fits the Guardians' new identity perfectly. Cleveland drafted Fox in the third round of the 2021 MLB draft and signed the teenager to an over-slot bonus of $850,000 to lure him away from a commitment to play for the University of Florida. He's advanced for his age and came out firing in the Complex League when he hit .405/.469/.429 with seven stolen bases and a 146 wRC+ in 13 games when he was just 18.Fox spent all of 2022, his age-19 season, with Cleveland's Low-A affiliate the Lynchburg Hillcats. If Fox was ever intimidated by jumping from high school to pro ball, he never showed it in his first full professional season. Over 104 games Fox slashed .247/.381/.374 with 25 doubles, five home runs, 74 walks (15.7% BB%), 90 strikeouts (19.1% K%), a 118 wRC+ and 21 stolen bases. He managed to add some power to his 6 foot frame, totaling 34 extra base hits as a teenager in the low minors.[embed]https://twitter.com/Official_CGBI/status/1514386552977297411?s=20&t=FpPKSKX7-_kazCzdUohhvg[/embed]Those numbers are incredible for a 19-year-old, especially the plate discipline, and there's plenty of intrigue around Fox's full potential. To reach that potential however Fox's swing will need to be addressed. There's a hitch in Fox's  left-handed swing, essentially an extra motion of the hands or arms that occurs while in loading or stride. Some players have been successful with a hitch, including the likes of Albert Pujols and Gary Sheffield, but oftentimes can limit players to just their hand and forearm strength instead of their full body. If the movement is slight enough it can be used to keep rhythm and timing in the batter's box, but in Fox's case it seems the motion is enough he found himself falling behind his first taste of professional pitching at times. Fox has impressive upside for his relatively average tools. He was drafted as a shortstop, but moved to second base thanks in part to a pedestrian arm, but his speed is seemingly his best tool early on. In 117 professional games so far Fox has swiped 28 bags in 31 attempts. The speed could be game changing for Fox both on the base paths and in the outfield where he played 31 games in center field for the Hillcats. With the glut of middle infield prospects there's those who believe that with his plus speed Fox is capable of covering ground quickly and could transition to the outfield full time even with an average arm.[embed]https://twitter.com/FarmToFame_/status/1435441735103041537?s=20&t=FpPKSKX7-_kazCzdUohhvg[/embed]I have plenty of positive things to say about Fox, he's demonstrated already that he has a very respectable floor, but  he'll have a longer development path than others within the organization. It's unclear how high the ceiling can reach, but based on early returns I'm confident Fox has the talent to be an MLB regular with the wheels to impact games as a late pinch runner, but he'll have to find a true home in the field. He'll need to show steady growth at every level, where he'll likely be among the youngest players at each stop.Fox should make the jump to High-A Lake County this season, and the Guardians should have no reason to rush him. He'll turn 20 just before the season starts, and with the logjam of middle infielders in the upper minors there's no reason to promote him beyond Lake County this coming season unless he forces the club's hand. He'll have plenty of time to fine-tune the mechanics and enough playing time to figure out where he'll end up defensively. For 2023 we'll want to see if Fox has made any noticeable changes to his swing, if he's added any power, if that power comes at the cost of his plate discipline numbers, and where he'll spend most of his time in the field. He's the second youngest player in my top 30, and I look forward to seeing what Fox does next.The List so far:No. 27: Jhonkensy NoelNo. 28: Jack LeftwichNo. 29: Trenton DenholmNo. 30: Peyton Battenfield