Dustin Fowler

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #4 prospect in 2018
  Another prospect the A's acquired from the Yankees in the Sonny Gray trade, Fowler endured an awful injury in his major league debut with New York on June 29: He ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee when he crashed into the wall near the right field line in Chicago. He's since sued the White Sox for the placement of the unpadded electrical box that he ran into. Fowler had made strong progress through the Yankees' system, including a Double-A season in 2016 with 30 doubles, 15 triples, 12 homers and 25 stolen bases. Fowler's combination of speed and power gives him a chance to become an impact player. He has played the corner outfield spots, but figures to stick in center given his range and solid arm. His plus speed makes him a basestealing threat with 74 steals in five minor league seasons, but he could improve his success rate. The A's tried several players in center field in 2017, including Rajai Davis, Jaycob Brugman and Boog Powell, without much success. Fowler's recovery went as planned through the fall, and he is expected to be ready for spring training. Fowler should have every opportunity to become the A's starting center fielder in 2018, but how well he recovers will play a big factor. If he is deemed not quite healthy or ready, he will begin the season, and his Athletics career, at Triple-A Nashville
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  Ranked New York Yankees #10 prospect in 2017
  Fowler was a Louisville commit out of high school, but the Yankees liked his all-around ability and signed him for $278,000 as an 18th-round pick in 2013. So far, they've liked what they've seen. He began to break out in 2015, when he put up dynamic numbers at two Class A stops and finished with a nice run in the Arizona Fall League. He continued that trend this year at Double-A Trenton, where he was a force on both sides of the ball for a team that made it to the Eastern League championship series. Fowler is an above-average defender in center field with range both side to side and back and forth. His arm is a little bit below-average, but he makes up for it with a quick release. He's a slashing type of hitter with above-average speed that serves him well both on the bases and on defense. Some evaluators noted that his speed will play even better once he learns to take more aggressive leads. He's got more power than other players his size. It's primarily to the gaps, but his speed helps earn him extra bases. For example, his 15 triples led the EL. His biggest weakness is that he tends to expand the zone, and he walked just 22 times all year. After a successful season in Double-A, Fowler will move to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2017 and play all season there as a 22-year-old.
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  Ranked New York Yankees #10 prospect in 2016
  The Yankees handed Fowler a $278,000 bonus to keep him from a commitment to Louisville, and he broke out in 2015. He started back at low Class A Charleston and pushed his way up with a .759 OPS in his first 58 games. When moved to high Class A Tampa, he kept hitting and showed the same intriguing mix of hitting, speed and defense. The Yankees have depth of center fielders in the minors, but Fowler stands out with the best power-speed mix. He runs excellent routes in center field and takes a quick first step, too, which makes him appear even speedier than his home-to-first times would indicate. He hasn't shown in it in games much yet, but some scouts believe there's enough raw power in Fowler's lefthanded swing to project average pop when he's done developing. Fringy arm strength is Fowler's only tool that ranks as below-average. When you put it all together, scouts can see an everyday center field job in Fowler's future if everything clicks. Fowler's blue-collar approach and all-around tools showed in the Arizona Fall League season, where he started as a member of the taxi squad and finished as a member of Surprise's full roster. He homered in the AFL Championship game, further setting himself up for a jump to Double-A Trenton in 2016.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked International League #17 prospect in 2017
  Fowler turned in his best season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to earn a callup to New York on June 29--but that's where the good news would end. Before he could step to the plate for the first time, he suffered a season-ending knee injury after running into a wall in foul territory in the first inning. The Yankees traded him a month later to the Athletics as part of the price for Sonny Gray. One scout said Fowler has a chance to be "Kiermaier lite" defensively, referencing the Rays' two-time Gold Glove center fielder Kevin Kiermaier. His arm is below-average. Fowler has good barrel control and above-average speed but doesn't walk much. He hit a career-high 13 home runs in the IL but is more of a gap hitter who racks up extra bases and stolen bases with his wheels.
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  Ranked Eastern League #20 prospect in 2016
  One of the EL's best-kept secrets, Fowler earned raves as one of the league's best defenders in center field and an posed an all-around threat to opposing pitchers. Fowler led the EL with 15 triples--the most in the league since 1993--and also reached double digits with 31 doubles, 12 home runs and 25 stolen bases. He has the speed to bunt for hits if necessary. Fowler is s a slam-dunk center fielder with range both side to side and front to back. He has an above-average, accurate arm. One manager noted Fowler had a vulnerability on the inside part of the plate, and he hardly ever walks. With improved selectivity, he has the ingredients to be a leadoff-type batter who can save runs on defense.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #88 prospect in 2018

• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Acquired from the Yankees in the 2017 Sonny Gray trade, Fowler suffered an awful injury in his major league debut: He ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee when he crashed into the wall near the right field line in Chicago. He later sued the White Sox for the placement of the unpadded electrical box that he ran into. Scouting Report: Fowler had made strong progress through the Yankees' system, including a Double-A season in 2016 with 30 doubles, 15 triples, 12 homers and 25 stolen bases. Fowler's combination of speed and power gives him a chance to become an impact player. He has played the corner outfield spots but figures to stick in center given his range and solid arm. His plus speed makes him a basestealing threat, but he could improve his success rate. Fowler's recovery went as planned through the fall, and he is expected to be ready for spring training. The Future: Fowler should have every opportunity to become the Athletics' starting center fielder in 2018, but how well he recovers will play a factor. If he is not quite ready, he will begin the season at Triple-A Nashville.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Fowler was a Louisville commit out of high school, but the Yankees liked his all-around ability and signed him for $278,000 as an 18th-round pick in 2013. So far, they've liked what they've seen. He began to break out in 2015, when he put up dynamic numbers at two Class A stops and finished with a nice run in the Arizona Fall League. He continued that trend this year at Double-A Trenton, where he was a force on both sides of the ball for a team that made it to the Eastern League championship series. Scouting Report: Fowler is an above-average defender in center field with range both side to side and back and forth. His arm is a little bit below-average, but he makes up for it with a quick release. He's a slashing type of hitter with above-average speed that serves him well both on the bases and on defense. Some evaluators noted that his speed will play even better once he learns to take more aggressive leads. He's got more power than other players his size. It's primarily to the gaps, but his speed helps earn him extra bases. For example, his 15 triples led the EL. His biggest weakness is that he tends to expand the zone, and he walked just 22 times all year. The Future: After a successful season in Double-A, Fowler will move to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2017 and play all season there as a 22-year-old.